Happy Anniversary

Bob, Ibiza, 1986

When I arrived in Ibiza in 1986 this is the man that was waiting for me, and what woman in her right mind wouldn’t adore that gorgeous creature. Adore him I did, and still do.

Bob and I are together thirty years this year: and those thirty years were the best time of my life. We married in 2008 but it was the 23 years before that that shaped our relationship. Told a friend today that Bob was able to ‘put manners’ on me, and he asked what I meant. I explained that – being strong-willed and stubborn, I didn’t take kindly to criticism, but Bob would go to great lengths to prove a point, and often did. I’ve said before he didn’t suffer fools gladly, nor did he hold a grudge, so if I messed up I’d hear about it but wouldn’t have to suffer long-term annoyance. This worked both ways, I guess – I’m no slouch in the tolerance department – but he spoke to me in such a way that I could see the logic and sense in his arguments, and often couldn’t refute them. I’m learning to be grateful for those years: when love was taken for granted in the nicest possible way, and having someone watch over you was the norm.