A Season of Thanks: Day 2

I choose this day to be grateful for Chris.

I waited 29 years to meet the man of my dreams, and it took me almost another 3 to realize that's who he was. I am grateful for every one of those days leading up to the day I first sensed that he and I were compatible.

I am grateful for the exceedingly difficult journey we have been on since that day. It has been wrought with some of the most difficult days of my life. And yet, I wouldn't give up any one of those days. They have shaped who we are as a couple. We learned extremely early in our relationship that talking through the hard stuff was absolutely essential. It is a rare day that we argue, but when we do it begins and it ends before there is time to stifle the frustration. Those hard days so early in our life together have become a rich treasure to me. Our commitment to one another has been tested fiercely, and we have won.

Will there still be days that are difficult? I am certain of it.
Will I ever again question whether we can navigate the storm? Absolutely not.

Chris and I are partners in every sense of the word.
He is my best friend.
At times, he is my biggest rival.
He is my source of encouragement and strength.
He is home.
He relieves the tension of a long day. More often than not, at the end of a day I am so eager to get home. I have no desire to go anywhere, to stop along the way, to see someone else. I want to be with Chris.

We parent well together.
We play well together.
We work well together.
We make good roommates, even.

29 years of waiting was the smartest thing I ever did. When I look back over my life at the different men I wondered about - should he be my husband? - I understand why the thought of marriage always scared me. Because deep in my heart I knew the answer was always, "No, he shouldn't." Marrying any one of them would have been a tragic mistake. I never would have known the one my soul always craved. It always felt like I would be settling, and I am so glad I never did.

Chris, for everything that you are and for the woman I am because of you, thank you.
To the God who brought us together, thank you will never be enough.
But I will continue to offer it every day.
I will live my life in gratitude - choosing grace, choosing "yes" over "no", choosing to walk beside you - because I am, among all women, most richly blessed.

These have been the best years of my life, despite the hardships.
I can only imagine where the path will lead us in the decades to come.



I love you.