To My Valentine

To My Valentine,

I have so many valentines now. But as I am thinking about my children and my grandchildren, my mind turns to you. You are the one, after all.

You are the one who has always loved me. All of those years ago I didn’t understand how such a stud decided to pay attention to me …but once I got you in my grasp, you didn’t stand a chance, did you? I’m a stick-tight!

You are the one who knows me as much as one person can know another. You have lived my history – you knew my parents, my sisters, my school friends. What a privilege to know each other’s stories and to have seen each other at our best and at our worst and still love each other.

And I love you. I love you because of who you are and in spite of who you are. I love the strength, the gentleness, and the goodness in you and have learned to acknowledge your faults without wanting to change you or to deny that you have faults. I don’t need you to be perfect; I just need you to be you.

It’s hard to imagine what we have been through together and what we have accomplished. We haven’t always been great at cooperation, but we have managed to be a wonderful team – each filling in the gaps for the other and creating results that are unbelievable. From love, to children, to grandchildren, to lifestyle, to education, to privilege, and back again; we have everything that I could have ever dreamed possible – and more. And without each other, none of this would have happened.

I know that you are my supporter, my protector and truly – the wind beneath my wings.

Thank you, dear husband, for all of the years – good years, hard years, and everything in between. I appreciate having shared them with you. Here’s hoping for many more…

Happy Valentine’s Day

xxoo

Reprinted from 2018