A photo posted by Elephant Journal (@elephantjournal) on Jul 24, 2016 at 7:01am PDT

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One year later

525,600minutes

But I want to buy, not rent

A year

And I still don’t know what to call it

Four letters, one syllable

So small a word to contain a lifetime

To carry such a promise

An all consuming, overwhelming force

Love

Oh, I love him

But it’s more than that

I have heard that word before

Tossed casually beside some unassuming noun

I’ve used the word before

But I never knew

Never understood

It seems so common

So necessary for family, friends, that perfect pair of jeans

But what is this then, when it feels like so much more

I know you now

I knew you before

But it’s more than that

It’s more than the music you like or the teams you root for

Your birthday or the car you drive

It’s more than that

It’s the way you take your coffee, just so

Sweet and the soft color of warm caramel

The sigh before you fall asleep

And the way your hair sticks up in the back

It’s seems like forever

And no time at all

I know I’ve grown, you’ve grown

We’ve grown—together

I’ve learned

To let someone see the dents and scratches so carefully hidden for so long

Trust relearned, re-imagined

Words long lost, now sought

Attempts to express

Happiness and hope so complete

Two lives so in sync

It is love

And it is so much more

A year of us, together

Of whispered secrets late at night

Of safety sought and found

Of friendship and hope

Of kisses and laughter

Of a life shared and lived well

And ever, and ever more…

.

~

Author: Gabriella Sweezey

Image: Instagram @elephantjournal 

Editor: Yoli Ramazzina