I appreciate you. I don’t say that nearly enough. Appreciate is a commonly used word but I feel that it’s lost its true meaning: recognize the full worth of. This weekend, when we got the chance to talk between just the 2 of us (which is a rarity), I realized how much I take you for granted and how little I express my gratitude towards who you are and what you do.
It starts with your faith. When I share conversations that I had with my friends or coworkers with you, you are there to point out how I could have or should have steered the conversation in a better direction. I remember the reason I decided to ask you to marry me. It was because of your heart and love for other people. You genuinely cared about other people and wanted to help them, whether they were friends, friends of friends, family, or someone you had never met. You would bake goods for them, order groceries, send gift cards, write notes, send letters, meet up with them and just spend time listening to what they were going through, and so many other things. You are able to show the love of Jesus through your love of others.
And in our marriage. I don’t think I have ever felt that I don’t have your full support in whatever decisions I’m making that affect our family. From moving cities, changing jobs, switching churches, having kids, etc, you have always let me take the lead and talk with me through our options. And, if I am in the wrong about something, you are sincere in pointing me on the right track. You care about my “love language” and my needs and push me to take time to myself, even when I fight it. I love that you push me to be a better leader spiritually in our family, despite my reactions.
And with our children. You are the rock of this family. You have always cared so deeply for our kids and you set the tone early on in Enzo’s life when you absolutely refused to give up breastfeeding despite all of the issues that were going on at the time. What you did, set the tone and made me realize that you would literally do anything for our kids. Even to this day, Enzo has been having stomach issues and you had genuine concern that you hope he is not suffering from the same issues that have plagued you for most of your life. You strive for and maintain a healthy lifestyle for our entire family. Whether it’s the way we eat or pushing all of us to get outside and be active. When friends and family make rude remarks about our diets or the way we have decided to raise our kids, I love the way you handle the situations and I can only imagine that it’s not easy.
And caring for yourself. To live a life with purpose when everyday feels the same, definitely can’t be easy. You have consistently tried to volunteer or even work in an industry that you are passionate about, only to be shot down over and over again. But you don’t give up. When one door closes, you search for another. You have such a strong desire to make a difference in someone else’s life, that it seems like you’re always looking for those opportunities, yet, you still find time to do yoga, go on a walk, exercise, read, hang out with friends, cook, watch movies, visit family, shop, go out to eat, and plan date nights.
You are truly an amazing woman. I love you.