I love you.
Two years ago today, on a beautiful sunny day in July, I promised to spend the rest of my life with you. I promised to love you during good times and bad, when we’re struggling and when we’re flourishing, when you’re at your worst and when you’re at your best. I promised to have you and to hold you until my dying breath. I promised. And I promise again.
Forgive me for the times when I haven’t been patient; when I’ve snapped at you or gotten frustrated.
Forgive me for when I haven’t been kind; when my tongue has been quicker and sharper than my head or my heart.
Forgive me for the times when I celebrate my victories over you; when I proudly say “I’m always right” and forget to be humble.
Forgive me for those times when I’ve been rude and please forgive me for the many times when I’ve been selfish; when I have sought love instead of offering it.
And, oh my love, forgive me for those times when I get angry quickly and for the times that I let that anger fester and let the anger grow bigger and bitter.
Finally, forgive me when I don’t spend every last breath protecting the man that you are, when I don’t trust you with all that I have, and for the times that I look to the future with worry instead of with hope. I need your forgiveness for these, and for all the future times that I have and will fail and break my promise to you.
Thank you for helping me understand the beauty of love. Beauty is precious and comes from hard work. I am always amazed at how little people actually understand of the word love. Our world today mistakes love for a feeling. But that is not love. No, Dan, my love for you is coloured with feelings but it is rooted in action. A colour photograph is nice, but a black and white one has a charm all of its own.
Each day I forget how to love you and have to teach it to myself all over again. Love is not easy. I want to sit back and let love happen to me, which is selfish and therefore the antithesis of love. But together we learn to love each other, each new day. Thank you for being on this journey with me. And thank you for trying to love me too.
People are always quick to say I love you because. But, Dan. I don’t love you because of anything. I just love you.
If you stopped making me laugh tomorrow, I would still love you.
If you stopped being such an awesome Dad, I would still love you.
If you stopped taking care of your family, I would still love you.
If you stopped being kind and caring and loving and supportive, I would still love you.
Because that’s just it – there is no because apart from this: I love you because I choose to; because I see the special person that God created to be loved. You are so worthy to be loved, for no other reason but that you are. And I am so thankful to be the person whose job it is to love you.
This is eleven parts absolutely adorable, and one part mind-blowing. I can't believe that was 2 years ago already.
Happy 2 years Laura! I love you two!!!
(ha! See what I did there? You can't pay for this kind of entertainment.)
This is so beatiful, and so much to think about in here. :) Thank you for sharing your heart.