Like most people, I think a lot about love during the month of February. Nine years ago I met/started talking to a wonderful guy online. Seven years ago we tied the knot. Our relationship, and love for each other has morphed into something even better than it was back then.
Life was different then than it is now. Although there are times I’d like to go back to that simple life when my biggest concern was getting home safely after a night out, I wouldn’t trade my life for all the money in the world. Our children have have enriched our life and made our love even deeper than before.
I’m sure my life as a stay-at-home-mom is similar to others. I spend days attempting to keep the house clean {I fail more often than not}, take care of the children {keeping them alive is more believable}, cook a healthy dinner {cooking is more realistic}, and keep my sanity intact {more like maintain what sanity remains}. My husband’s day, on the other hand, is spent working and providing for our family. I’m guilty of handing the children off like a baton the second he walks in the door without second thought. I assume his day and commute home were relaxing. Inevitably, we end up in some sort of disagreement or argument because I just “don’t understand how demanding work is.”
It’s been nearly four years since I’ve been in out in the real world, and I have forgotten how taxing work can be, physically and mentally. And I cannot even fathom how exhausting it must be providing for a family of five. This is where I go back to talking about love – I love my husband more than he knows, and I know that I don’t show him or tell him often enough – so here it goes…
Dear Husband {Chad},
Thank you. I l know I don’t say it as much as I should, but thank you for sacrificing your time {and sanity} providing for our children and allowing me to have these special moments with them that I will cherish forever. Watching you with our children is amazing by itself, but I occasionally miss it being just us.
My heart is so full now, having you and the kids we worked so hard to conceive. Our life is no longer about material objects and having fun. Instead it’s about experiences – the time we spend together, watching our children grow into amazing people {though goodness that can be stressful at times}, and giggling together over the silly things they say and do.
I accuse you of enjoying a peaceful drive to and from work daily, knowing that there are days that you are on your phone with clients or other employees. There are days that you are up until midnight working from home, when you could have stayed at the office and probably accomplished everything in less time. And I have to mention dinners or activities with clients – how nice it must be to go to a nice dinner or do fun things, right?! To me it sounds like fun, but I know that while it may be somewhat enjoyable, it’s still part of your job.
The job that provides for our family and allows me to stay at home with our children. The job that ultimately paid for the conception and birth of our children; that affords us the fun experiences, and vacations.
Everything changed the day we found out we were pregnant, it changed again the day Charleigh was born, the day we found out we were expecting twins, and the day they were born. I love you to the moon and back, and am so glad that I chose you to “do life” with. Our chaotic, crazy, strange life is everything I have ever wanted. Just having you along for this ride makes me love you even more. I loved you before, but I definitely love you even more now.
I know that I’m not perfect and our life isn’t perfect. We certainly don’t have everything figured out. But that’s what makes our life fun, and why I love you more than you will ever know. Here’s to many more years of this chaotic, perfectly imperfect life; and watching our love for each other change even more.
