One year ago today, I was the happiest I’d ever been. Looking back, I didn’t even know what happiness was. One year ago, my best friend proposed to me. I could recount the entire story to you, but I’ve already written about it once, so you can just reread that!

Now, why would I say that I didn’t even know what happiness was on that glorious spring day a year ago? Well, because I only thought I was happy when Robert proposed, but after nearly ten months of marriage I can tell you that I was just barely scratching the surface of true happiness. True happiness doesn’t come in the form of a ring or a question. True happiness comes from the day to day, routine life things.

True happiness comes from waking up beside your best friend day after day. True happiness comes from knowing what a person is thinking simply by a glance or a squeeze of the hand. True happiness comes from the insight marriage gives you into the other person. True happiness is building a life together.

You see, true happiness isn’t just the based on the happy, exciting times in your life. True happiness isn’t about stringing together lots of wonderful memories and happy times. No, true happiness is going through the grime of life together, clawing your way through drama and craziness together, hand in hand. True happiness comes from the times that would be so hard to go through alone, but knowing you never have to again. True happiness is having your best friend there, always; in the good, the bad, the ugly, the terrible, and everything in between.

I’ll be honest, it hasn’t been 12 months of smooth-sailing. It has, however, been 12 months of growing closer together, leaning on one another, and loving each other more than we ever thought possible. Right now, a year later, I am telling you yet again that I am the happiest I’ve ever been. I cannot wait to see where another year with my best friend will take me. I look forward to whatever happiness is in my life a year from now. And with a heavenly Father like the one I have, I know that blessings will abound.