My Love,
Just over 22 years ago I took you to
this restaurant to officially ask you to marry me. Of course, we
both knew the answer beforehand so I was taking very little risk that
night. It did make things official though and a few months later we
married in an old stone church in Brookside. It was a beautiful fall
day; I was blessed with a beautiful bride and you with a very lucky
man.
Ten years later I surprised you, my
charming mother of three, with a trip to Prince Edward Island and the
north Atlantic. While you got to visit a childhood dream location,
you also had to endure my endless stops to take photographs of every
lighthouse and covered bridge along the eastern seaboard. It was a
beautiful fall week and my love for you only grew.
For our twentieth anniversary I took my
lovely wife to Greece, with more than a little help from the
Department of Defense, as a little getaway from the duties of a
family of seven. There you were able to walk on the same ground that
Paul walked and see the ruins of Thessoloniki and Athens. And you
also climbed up cliff and mountain so I could explore my childhood
remembrance of tales of Alexander the Great and visit the Monasteries
of Meteora because of a story that still tries to write itself from
deep inside my head. The sun was bright, most of the week, and you
were radiant.
But not every
anniversary has been a dream vacation. This year, you will get a
call from me as I sit on the other side of the world. We will pray
that the connection is good. And after a short conversation we will
go on about our days separately. You will teach Belle the alphabet,
help Bear with his math and reading, instruct Abi and Isaac with
their coursework. You will probably have already taken Silas for a
walk. You will continue to manage our home flawlessly even while
protesting that you could do better. Your humble service to our
home is a wonderful example to our children and a blessing to us all.
It makes me love you all the more.
This will not be our most romantic
anniversary. But every year with you is better than the year before.
God deepens my ability to love you far beyond what I thought was
possible. I am always amazed at the depth of your love for me.
Thank you for your love, your respect and your encouragement. You
make me a better man. As always, you will give me the best end of
this deal.
You are my glory. Every day I thank God for you.
Happy Anniversary, My Love.
