One year ago, I took the biggest and happiest step of my life and married my best friend. This year has felt like a dream. For these first 12 months, here are 12 reflections on the first year of marriage—mushy yet honest. Please pray for us.

1. One year of marriage feels at once like a long time and no time at all. I feel like I got married yesterday—but I’ve been in love for a lifetime.

2. One of the greatest joys of marriage is putting yourself in the dedicated service of the one you love. This service is constantly reciprocated not as a condition, but because it feels right. We try to outdo each other in goodness, and it makes us both better.

3. Some of the times I feel the most deeply in love are when I do something completely, incomprehensibly stupid, and share a genuine belly-laugh with my wife. In those moments, my world feels very bright and my heart very full.

4. It is true that, in the end, the marriage comes down to you and your spouse, but I cannot stress enough how helpful it is to have family on both sides that love you, support you, and root for you. Family is an incredible blessing for our marriage.

5. When I was looking to get married, one of my mentors said to seek out and marry a person from whom I could benefit spiritually. Not necessarily in terms of facts and knowledge, but in terms of their manners and conduct. This was one of the best pieces of advice I ever got.

6. Some of the times I feel the most intense gratitude are when my wife does the simplest acts of kindness—make my lunch, iron a shirt, leave me a sweet note. Nothing is too big or too small for someone who loves you unconditionally.

7. I am a medical student in gargantuan debt and my wife is a teacher. There are times where finances can feel tight, but the love and experiences we share are the greatest of all riches. It is all from God.

8. My favorite tradition in our marriage is [Husband/Wife] Appreciation Night. One of us plans a dinner, a fun activity, gives a small gift, and expresses gratitude for the other. We take turns and it's a planned date night every month.

9. Two of the things my wife is most passionate about are creating art and appreciating nature. Both of these require being unplugged and completely in the moment, elements which have enriched my life meaningfully.

10. I am not a perfect husband and there are no perfect marriages. We have our occasional disagreements. But we have NEVER allowed these to come to a boil, and as an unwritten rule, we never go to bed upset.

11. All of the simple joys I liked doing alone before marriage—eating late night cereal, making Saturday morning brunch, watching basketball or The Office—are even more fun now that I'm doing them with my best friend.

12. The first year of marriage has truly been the happiest year of my life. I am completely, irretrievably in love, and I hope to grow old with my wife. I pray for us to achieve that milestone.

Bonus: Now that I’m married, I get why rishta aunties and uncles exist. When you’re in love, you want others to be in love, too