James – I know I promised you I wouldn’t write a post about you today… but I couldn’t help it.
Don’t worry though – because I won’t patronize you or gush about how wonderful you are. I won’t tell everybody how you do all the laundry and the grocery shopping. I won’t tell everybody how sane you keep me, and how you make me laugh even when I’m trying my best not to. I won’t tell everybody that you scrub the bathtubs. I won’t tell them that you take the garbage out and take care of our car’s upkeep so I don’t have to worry about it. I won’t tell them that you randomly buy me CDs you know I’d like because I wouldn’t ever get them for myself. I won’t tell them that you give me a foot or back rub whenever I ask. I won’t tell them that you know when I need to stop working and force me to lay on the couch with you so you can play with my hair until I fall asleep. I won’t tell them all the nice things you say to/about me on a daily basis (that I should pay closer attention to and believe more often). I won’t tell them that you drive us to every single one of our out of town destinations because you know I hate to drive at night. I won’t tell them that you boil water in a teapot (over & over) and pour it in the bathtub for me when I’ve run out of hot water and my bath has turned cold.
I won’t tell them any of those things.
The only thing I will say is this: I know marriage is not always easy. I know there are times (like now) when there are so many changes in our lives – that we feel like we’re running in a million different directions and can’t seem to find which way is up. There are times we butt heads and have hard days. But it is in those moments of serious discussions, and tears, and reevaluating our day-to-day life, our family, and our happiness – – it is in those moments that I am the most certain – that there is no one else in the world I would want to be in this with than you.
There is no one else in the world I’d want to have those discussions with. No one else that would get me through these difficult times and push me to be the best version of myself. No one else that would push us to be the best version of us. No one else I’d want by my side.
No one else but you.
