Whether or not you've dipped your toe into the freezing cold waters known as adulthood, it's likely you're aware that last Saturday, April 15th was tax day. Some of you may have gotten ahead this year to claim your refunds ASAP, and others may have been grateful that this day fell on a weekend and the deadline was extended a few days so they can actually get them done. Regardless, tax day is an American tradition that has been around since the Civil War (give or take a few years?) and marks the end of the "taxing" period where you give the government your money and stress out over your finances. This day, in particular, has only marked the end of the tax season since about 1955, but on this particular date in 2017, another era ended: the single lives of Justin and Wynne Long (née Kelly).

Yes, this past Saturday, my sister married her fiancé, Justin Long. Justin is tall, quirky, loving, sociable- and just so happens to be an accountant. The irony of an accountant getting married on Tax Day didn't occur to the couple until just before the wedding, but my realization came earlier on, along with the realization that love and taxes aren't all that different. At this point, maybe you suspect that I am going to make a joke about a wife running around carelessly with her husband's money or how the wedding industry capitalizes on mirroring a depiction of love with a number on a check, but I am not. However, I will reveal parallels between the necessary evil of taxes and the voluntary bliss of uniting two people in the ultimate investment: marriage.

Giving and receiving are basic concepts of human interaction and compliance. Some examples include paying money for goods and services, exchanging Christmas gifts, and doing favors for people you care about. Taxes work in the same way, as you account for your earnings and spending over the past year, pay your expected amounts in taxes based on these numbers, and hope to receive a refund (or satisfaction knowing that you completed your taxes and you are not going to jail for tax evasion). Marriage and relationships work in a similar way, as your entire past, regular habits, and degree of responsibility (sort of like a balance sheet) are exchanged for the same information from the other party, in addition to mutual trust and understanding. When this information is received, the chance for a refund comes in the form happiness, with the net income measured in marital bliss.

When it comes to Wynne and Justin's receipts, it appears that their finances and qualifications are in order. Justin's careful, calculating (literally) manner and my sister's constant need to get everything right to ensure the maximum cash flow reveal that they are on track for fiscal (and marital) success for many tax seasons to come.

Although love can be a "taxing" presence in someone's life, the ultimate capital of love will reveal a positive return investment in their new life together, and I couldn't be happier to "account" for this beautiful union.