268

To my wife, another monthly anniversary for us. 

There and back again regarding Chicago, regarding the marathon, regarding seeing my family for the first time in the two years of plague. At least the flights were near empty. Our own flying couches where we could sleep in peace. 

Away from home for a week. I forgot what it was like to vacate. But then I never vacated well. 

Thank you for watching me run, and trying to find me at different spots along the course. I promise next marathon will be local. No need to fly thousands of miles to see me sweat. 

 267

To my wife, on our monthly anniversary. I love you, and I hope you are always happy. 

 266

To my wife, a happy monthly anniversary. This time around we are joined by your parents, who managed to get their vaccinations and be well enough and COVID free enough to travel through Europe and work their way to see us after stopping in our old city of Amsterdam. Being home, you'll spend more time with them, which is fair. Perhaps needed. You haven't seen them for a couple years, part of the wide gulf enforced on millions around the world where we couldn't travel in 2020...and even if we did, we wouldn't want to. We were isolating to save each other...hiding out of love, giving each other signs of life via livestreaming from tablets on birthdays, holidays, when the distance got too much to bear. 

I hope their visit nourishes you and sustains you. It's a needed gift. 

 265

To my wife, another monthly anniversary. Now in the summer of Copenhagen we swelter, remembering the long, cruel darkness of winter. Now we yearn for breezes and strategically block the sun with blackout drapes. 

But we rest in the summer together, me now on summer break. Your parents will visit in a few weeks and I have time to get my thoughts together or to calm my brain after weeks of running to keep up game development. 

It is a better time. I love you. 

 264

For my love on our 22-year anniversary.

Summer is here and today we celebrate our years together. Something low-key given the heat. Exploring a castle. Dinner by the water. Our time out together as part of a city and a country waking up after COVID kept us inside and anxious for more than a year. Each of us is half-vaccinated. The masks are now just used for the Metro. We can be city dwellers again. We can be in the full colors of the sun, alive and grateful for the world. And I hope each other.