i love my valentine

ian

with valentine’s day fast approaching, i have been thinking a bit more often about how sincerely i love and adore the boy – my boy. each night as i kneel in prayer my heart is so full expressing gratitude for my best friend, my partner, my true love – and this week my thankfulness has been just a little keener than usual. our relationship certainly isn’t always smooth and easy, but it is deep and wonderful and tough, and it brings us both such hearty joy.

yesterday i surprised the boy when he got home from work with a “heart attack” – red paper hearts stuck up all over his side of the bedroom, with some reasons i love him written on them. i felt as i tacked the hearts up that i had just scratched the surface of the fantastic goodness of this spectacular human that i get to call mine.

IMG_8274{a sampling…} i love:

-his ability to relate to all kinds of people.
-that he cares and takes care of the people in his life as a truly devoted husband, son, brother, friend, coworker, primary teacher, and soon-to-be dad.
-his truly golden, sparkly heart.
-that he teaches me so much about myself and invites me to change and become better.
-his intellectual and social and emotional crazy smarts.
-all the awesome adventures we have shared and his adventurous spirit…and that he knows and lives the most important life adventures.
-the way he always seeks to look out for others and serve in every setting and scenario.
-his open mindedness and willingness/desire to look at things a new way.
-his commitment to making goals and plans.
-how he makes everyone feel their importance and brightens up people’s days.
-that he uses his talents for good and consistently thanks god for them.
-that he appreciates beauty and nature.

-his deep and profound faith in and desire to follow jesus.
-that he works so hard and takes his responsibilities seriously.
-that he is so fun to be with on crazy adventures or just hanging out.

here’s to celebrating true love this week! i am so, so, so glad to have the boy as my perma-valentine.

Comments

  1. Hi Charity,
    thanks for sharing! Those ar some awesome reasons why you love your husband, he seems to be a great guy.
    May I ask something: You often mention that your relationship is-among other things-hard work; and that you both are in true, tough love.
    I thought about this a lot, but I must admit: I don`t really understand what you`re talking about. Why is your relationship hard work? And why is your love tough?
    I am married myself, and yes, sure, sometimes my husband and I disagree on something, we have an argument, but we both don`t experience our relationship as "tough" or "hard work".
    Maybe you would like to share some examples? (I`m not asking to share details from your relationship).
    All the best!
    Mary

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    1. hi mary! thanks for reading and for your comment/question.

      i'm just trying to keep it real. that's awesome for you that you don't feel your relationship is hard work - and i'm sure there are many couples that feel the same way! but i personally would feel disingenuous writing a mushy-gushy, lovely-dovey post (and i could write one of those very often - i really, really love my husband and am pretty obsessed with him) without acknowledging that, for us, true love can be tough! while i want to keep it real, i don't think it appropriate to share too many specifics about the things that make our relationship hard - because it's personal and also because i fear that would overly emphasize the difficult bits (our human minds sure tend to latch on to the negative stuff sometimes!).

      i really value that our relationship isn't always easy, and so i acknowledge that, but usually only in passing because wow, being married to the boy brings me amazing amounts of joy.

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    2. For us true love is hard work also. We've been married 13 years, have two amazing boys, and are very much in love. Yep, for many couples true love is hard!

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    3. Hi Charity, thank you for your honest answer. I understand better now what you mean by tough love. I appreciate it so much that you`re keeping it real on your blog!

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    4. Anonymous#1:
      You are so nosey. Charity doesn't need to give examples. Mind your own business!

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    5. It's Charity's choice whether to give examples or not. It's not nosey to ask questions about what has already been put out here on the internet. Whether she answers them is up to her - and NOT YOUR BUSINESS.

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    6. Ditto Stacy..... You might want to read up on "unwritten social rules" before you continue to put your foot in your mouth in this forum and elsewhere.

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  2. Sweet. I also love the saying on the nightstand, "You are my bucket list." :)
    Lisa

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  3. I appreciate your comments and relationships are work, that's for sure. but I would never define mine as tough work. they should be like two pieces that fit perfectly together. perhaps counseling would be good for you and your husband? nothing wrong with therapy for all people.

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    1. You both must be perfect people. In the bible it says love endures all things. It's right there love isn't a fairytale. Or marriage. Anybody married a while should relate to the endure part. Perhaps what you define as a perfect fit is what she defines as hard?

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  4. I would for sure say that marriage is tough work. Hardest work I have ever done and will continue to do, besides that of raising children. But from really hard things comes amazing blessings and insights. To those who say marriage shouldn't be "tough" or "really hard", I say, it is different for everyone as it should be. There isn't one perfect way to make a marriage work. Marriage isn't a one size fits all, it is so personal and such a different experience for each individual. My marriage is awesome because I do work so hard. That certainly doesn't mean anything else except for that it is hard but yet so wonderful and fulfilling. Journey on Miss Charity, it sounds like you are moving onward and experiencing joy and blessings in the process.

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  5. Absolutely! Every person os different and every marriage is different as well. All relationships can be hard work. It`s wonderful when this hard work pays off and relationships are fulfilling.

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  6. You guys are so cute. Love you!

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  7. I believe that hard work is one of life's greatest gifts. As you know, Dad and I disagree on how to do almost everything. But working it out is part of the fun! I'd say it's about a 50/50 give and take! Love this post! Love that guy of yours too!

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