I remember when I was an older teenager when my parents anniversary would roll around. They would talk about their love for each other. That it was so natural for them, because they had been together longer then they were single. Their hard work was paying off. They would say that in a way it seemed like a short time, but in a bigger way it seemed like they had just always been together.
I get that more and more every year.
It seems now that I have just always been with the Double B. And that is after only 11 years! Think of all the amazing years we have ahead of us! I am thankful to feel my soul becoming inseparably connected to his throughout this journey. He is the yin to my yang, and I am absolutely crazy about him!
In honor of 11 years, I have decided I will share 11 things I love about my friend.
1. Kindness. This is the first thing I noticed about the Double B when I met him at 17-years-old. He possessed a kindness that just absolutely floored me and drew me in like Katelyn to chocolate. He was kind to everyone, all the time, no matter what (including this little 14-year-old). Since I am the person with the very special privilege to "see beneath his beautiful," I can say that like all of us he is a complex person, who is at his very core, incredibly kind. (note: dreamy!)
2. Goodness. This would be the second thing I noticed about 17-year-old Double B and is so a part of his innate being. He. Is. GOOD. Good to the core. You know how you sometimes look around and wonder if good people still exist? They do. And I am married to Exhibit A. It just absolutely shone out of him from that very first moment I met him, and I was happy just to be someone that just occasionally got to be in his presence. It still shines out of him. He has so much goodness. Because of this, people are drawn to him. He has always been special. Here he stands out like a really awesome sore thumb. I LOVE goodness, and oh boy, do I love the Double B.
3. Spiritual Strength. Okay, I admit it sounds like it, but I really didn't have a crush on him as a teenager, because that would've been a waste of time. But it's true -- like a threesome of amazingness -- this is the other thing that was just so obviously about the young Double B. It is only more obvious today. He is valiant. He is strong. He is stalwart. He is true to the faith. And that is not optional for him, it is WHO HE IS. And as I knew at a young age that this quality would be the most important thing for me in my life, how incredibly lucky for me to find that and have him partner with me to lead our family. Of all of the qualities he possesses, this is the one I value most gratefully. He has been my partner as I have built for myself, and as he has built for himself, and we become stronger together. (note: hallelujah!)
4. Humor. I actually don't know if you would catch this right away upon meeting the Double B, because he is just the smallest bit shy, but he is so funny. He actually does make me laugh every single day. He makes fun of me all the time, and somehow, that is funny. The best thing about his humor is that it is sneaky. He still surprises me all the time with humor that just slides right in there when you're not expecting it. I know that he loves that I laugh at his jokes, but actually -- he's just really funny. I'd have to be crazy not to laugh!
5. Fun. The Double B loves to have fun. I love this about him. I love that he reminds me to have fun, too. I love that inside he is really just a big kid.
6. Friend. He is a friend to all. If you are his friend, consider yourself lucky, because you are his friend FOR LIFE. He is so dedicated to returning the favor or reaching out to help if you need him. If you want to know how valuable friendship is, just look at K.J. His first name is the name of the Double B's best friend. I'm the lucky kid that gets to be his favorite friend, which is totally amazing!
7. Loyalty. He is so loyal. I never wonder about his feelings for me, for the kids, or his family members. He is loyal when it really matters, he is loyal to all that is truly important. He is even loyal to the Chicago Cubs! What can I say... his parents raised him right!
8. Protector. He really is. This is the "King of the Old People" we are talking about. He is so respectful of others, and he is very protective of his parents, his home, his wife, and his children. As you can imagine, this is pretty dreamy in a honey, but is pretty awesome to have in a Dad. My kids are lucky.
9. Daddy. He is such a sweet Dad, especially if you get to be one of his daughters, then prepare yourself for some serious pampering! He is a Dad that desires to instill the same ethics and faith into his children that his parents instilled into him. He shows K.J. how to be a man by example, he shows our daughters how to be a woman by the way he respects and honors me. The Double B is at a place in his life where he is seriously stretched for time and he doesn't have a whole lot of it to be at home with the kids. But when he is here, he tries to make it matter. I could never ask anything more from him. He's amazing.
10. Love. The Double B is one loving dude. He might not always be able to express it with words, but he shows it. He shows it in the way he takes upon himself the job of caretaker of his aging parents, the way he worries about his sisters, the way he is a true friend to my brothers, the way he honors my parents, the way he takes care of us, and the way he takes care of me. He takes care of me. There is really no other way to say it. He makes me feels special, he makes me feel beautiful, he makes me feel respected, and he talks me back from the ledge all the time. What better kind of love is there then that! I am so incredibly lucky.
11. Integrity. That is just who he is.
He lives his life in a way that I can desire to be like.
I couldn't feel any happier that I yoked myself to him all those years ago. I couldn't feel any luckier that he yoked himself to me. I have tried, "lo, these many years" to become his equal for the task at hand.
I am just absolutely wild about him! I love him more then I did then, and I choose every day to love him more then I did the day before. I just could shout "Halleluhah!" that he chooses me, too.
2 comments:
beautiful rie. happy anniversary!
Happy anniversary!!
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