Dear Sarah,

One year ago you did me the honour of marrying me. Who would’ve thought we’d be where we are now? We’ve moved into a cute and unforeseen house in the trees. I’ve taken on a new job working in Lincoln again. The world has succumbed to a pandemic. Just about the only thing that’s remained is you. It’s the best life I could have hoped for - such satisfying spontaneousness while keeping you, my bedrock, by my side.

I’ve been realising over the past year that I’m a very lucky man. Growing up I always assumed that there would be a very typical path through life. I never thought that it would go any other way more out of innocent ignorance than anything.

It all starts with a handful of romantic interests growing up which are the most important things in the world at the time but inevitably disappear because we’re 16 and we don’t know ourselves well enough yet to be able to say who or what we like.

Then there’s the first job working in a kitchen until you can figure out what you really want to be doing. What you really want to be doing is a white collar job that you enjoy and gives a good, stable income for the rest of your life.

Then you meet the love of your life.

You meet her at a pub and get to know her through a friend of a friend. You think nothing of it at the time, she’s cute and catches your eye but neither of you are expecting to meet anyone here.

You keep in touch and see her again at a few pubs. She plays guitar and she sings like you’ve never heard before. You become good friends and very close. You’ve started to make friends together - people neither of you knew before. They see the both of you as a pair. You start to feel it too and become a couple. There’s nothing you can do about it and you love it.

You meet her parents for the first time. It goes great and they don’t hate you. They turn out to be wonderful people but then again you’d expect that based on the amazing woman you’re with. They have an idyllic spot in the countryside and you can’t help but think that the rest of your life is slowly revealing itself in front of your eyes. You meet her extended family and get the impression that you’ll probably know these people for the rest of your life.

You start travelling together to see the world. You visit all the hotspots you’re meant to in Europe and have an amazing time together, enjoying some quirky hotels and B’n’Bs. She looks beautiful in these gorgeous European streets. You wonder how you got so lucky as to find someone who’s such a perfect fit for you. You go across the planet together and every location around the world reminds you of her. You see the world in her eyes now.

You have ups and downs but are able to make huge personal changes for the better. Nothing can stop you. You have some amazing “ups” and some devastating “downs”. You realise that you’re not perfect and probably don’t deserve her at all. You do what you can to be more mindful and the man she deserves. She’s made the biggest change to you that has ever happened in your life and asks nothing in return. She is the most remarkable person in your life.

You realise you can’t live without them and you know it’s time.

You plan the most spectacular wedding any of us could imagine. Everything was deeply personal to both of you. You barely compromised a thing. You see that a life with her is going to be greater than you could’ve imagined. The tipis glow with joy, music, and love. The wedding was perfect.

You spend the next 6 months buying the dream home in the forest. The garden is beautiful and you can see a whole new chapter of your life dawning just over the horizon. The house purchase is a nightmare and the most stress you’ve ever been through before. You get to breaking point many times but you can always push on because you have the greatest teammate with you. You’re so much stronger because of her.

The honeymoon comes at the worst time, but none of that matters because you’re with your incredible wife and having the time of your life in the Caribbean. There’s so much love that there’s no room for stress. We might be homeless soon but what does it matter when we have each other? You’re living the life that the most famous love songs in the world preach about and you get to live it with her.

She finds you a home. It’s tiny but it’s perfect because it’s the two of you together. You have everything you need from it. You sit in the garden under the tree canopy full of love and spirit. You can’t leave the house any more but who cares when you have the one you love the most with you inside?

Then you spend the rest of your lives together without a regret of who you got to spend it with.

I realise that this life is anything but inevitable. It’s terrifyingly rare. The longer we spend together and the stronger our bond together becomes the more privileged I feel that I get to share my life with you.

I love you Sarah. If this year with you has shown me anything it’s that we can get through anything together. You’re my best friend. You’re my first choice. You’re my cream and strawberry to my scone. You’re the world to me.

Yours forever with all my heart. Happy 1^st anniversary.

Rob Treacy