Joseph My Heart,
We've been married eight years. I was trying to think of what I could do to celebrate
There was that year I took non-stop photos and documented The Many Faces of J. That was fun.
I decided to do something similar.
This was a hard year. I'm not going to go into why here. Some things are personal. But we came through.
I wanted to document all of the reasons I love you. I started this summer.
June 9,
2014
Today I
wasn’t feeling well. I haven’t been able to hear out of my ear all day. I have
a headache and cramps. You offered to give me a neck massage. You asked if I
was feeling better. You asked if there was anything you could do for me. You
looked at me with concern in your eyes.
You make me
feel precious and loved.
June 10,
2014
You scooped
me a bowl of ice cream. When you handed it to me, you told me that you scooped
it with love. When we sat on the couch to watch Big Bang Theory, you scratched
my back, because you know I love it when you do that.
June 19,
2014
Today we
planned my birthday cruise. I sat next to you while you put a spreadsheet
together to calculate the costs of the different trips we are considering. You
looked at me and asked if I needed my blanket. I knew all I had to do was say
the word and you would go get it for me.
I was
feeling a little crabby. Reading a book will do that to me – I don’t like to be
torn away. You give me a hug and kiss my forehead and say sweet things to me
instead of telling me to quit being a grump. You are so sweet to me that it
prompts me to apologize. You make me a better person.
June 26,
2014
We were
discussing mentoring a foster child, which could potentially lead to fostering
a child and maybe even adopting. I asked if you wanted us to have a baby of our
own. You said you didn’t care. I said I didn’t know if you wanted a little
piece of yourself. You said that doesn’t matter. You thought about it and said
you wouldn’t mind a little piece of me. I started getting teary eyed, thinking
it was such a nice thing to say, then you grinned and wiggled your eyebrows and
said, “I meant that sexually.”
June 27,
2014
We went to
Yellowstone. I didn’t realize it was so cold. I would have been miserable if you
hadn’t insisted on bringing a blanket along for me.
June 28,
2014
J: I
twee-twooed you.
Me:
Twee-twoo?
J: Yeah. I
can’t whistle so that’s the sound that whistle makes.
July 2,
2014
Today I had
a problem with my computer. As always, you dropped what you were doing to help
me. And you fixed it. You are brilliant. Then when we were making plans to
leave, I asked if you didn’t mind driving Marcus, my truck. You said the
following:
Why would I
mind? I don’t mind driving your truck. No, actually, I consider it an honor.
You make me
laugh.
July 14,
2014
Today you
made me a tuna melt for dinner. And you carved a heart in it.
July 16,
2014
Today I was
at work and you offered to take me out to lunch. I love that you want to send
time with me. After lunch you walked me to my truck and held my hand. I liked
it.
July 19,
2014
We went to
the gym. I watched you do a couple pull-ups.
Thanks for
being so sexy.
Today I
dragged you to an antiques store. I found a cabinet that I was pretty sure I
loved, but it didn’t really have the storage space I was looking for. After a
conversation listing pros and cons, to include “utils of happiness,” you
encouraged me to buy the cabinet.
July 22,
2014
I finished
a book today that, while it had a happy ending, it had some sad parts, which
made me feel a little melancholy. I found you at your desk and asked for some
ice cream and a cuddle. Then I noticed that you were working and I asked if I
should leave you alone. You looked at me in that earnest way you have and told me
that I am more important and that you were always here for me when I need you.
July 30,
2014
I wasn’t
feeling well today. You are always so sweet and make sure to ask me if you can
do anything for me. Makes me feel bad for calling you a sissy when you are
sick.
August 13,
2014
We got into
a pretty big fight yesterday. You knew I was still upset so you spent a lot of
time texting me.
One time
awhile back I told you about my favorite America’s Funniest Home Video. The guy
was in a bowling alley so my first reaction was, “Pfft. This guy is going to
drop his ball, or fall, or do some other typical bowling alley type
embarrassing thing.” So my expectations were pretty low. Guy managed to roll
his ball down the lane. It did not go in the gutter. He actually made a strike.
OK, so then I thought, “He must get excited and do a dance and fall down.” His
friend walked up for a high five and HIT HIM IN THE FACE. Oh, I was not
expecting that. I laughed until I cried. The guy made a strike and then got
slapped. Hahaha sucker. I had tried to find the clip on youtube so I could
watch it and laugh but I couldn’t.
You found
the clip and texted it to me. When I asked how long it took you to find it, you
told me 20 minutes.
I
appreciate the effort you go to when you’re trying to get yourself out of the
doghouse.
August 15,
2014
Today you
were dropping me off back at work after picking me up for lunch. You told me
you would get my door for me. So you rolled your window down and then walked to
my side. I told you thank you for rolling your window down, since you left your
keys in the ignition.
We both
remember that fateful day when you locked your keys in the car and we had to
wait an hour in the heat for the locksmith to come.
You told me
you only do it because I asked you to. All those years ago. And you still
remember.
Plus you
opened my door for me, so that was extra Gentleman Points.
August 27,
2014
I flew home
from MN today. I was gone for a few days for a work trip. You picked me up at
the airport and had such a big grin. You were so excited to see me. I had to
work a bit, but after that you asked what I wanted to do that night. I told you
I wanted to go look at paint for my redecorating project. You told me that before
we do that, we needed to go shopping and find an accent piece before we looked
at paint
WHAT! You
want to go shopping?? Aw yisss.
We went
shopping. We didn’t find an accent piece, but it was so nice being with you,
and knowing you were doing something you didn’t really want to do, but you
wanted to make me happy.
I teasingly
asked if you were being nice to me because you felt guilty about doing
something bad while I was gone. You looked at me with sincerity and said you
had missed me. My heart melted.
September
6, 2014
We were at
dinner in CA on our LA trip. A commercial came on for flipping houses and you
scoffed, said it was a scam. You said anything that promises money is a scam. I
asked, what about money managers? You said that’s a scam too because you can
make more by purchasing an index fund. I didn’t have a clue what you were
talking about so I asked questions, and we ended up talking about the S&P
500. You fully explained everything the way you always do, never talking down
to me. I couldn’t help grinning at you because you’re brilliant. Then you were
suspicious and wanted to know why I was grinning. I wasn’t making fun of you. I
love our strange conversations.
September
10, 2014
We are
painting the living room. I appreciate that when I make up my mind to do
something, you go along with it. You help me out. I don’t think other husbands
are like that. Plus, you have a special painting skill since you can paint
straight lines by hand.
Today I
asked if you would make me a cake. You looked at me like I was crazy. And then
you made me a cake.
September
12, 2014
Today I ducked into a fast food restaurant to go to the bathroom. While you were outside a
homeless man asked you for change. You had a dollar and a twenty. You gave him
the dollar, and felt bad about not giving him the twenty, but that was your
lunch money. When I came out of the bathroom you were standing in line with him to buy him a burger. I’m not sure if he was uncomfortable with silence or if
he was just glad to have someone to talk to, but he babbled and told us about living in an
abandoned house, making sure his bike was locked up because he’s had it stolen,
and how really needs a bike because he hurt his back. He mentioned how hard it
was to ask for help, and he couldn’t be prideful because he needed help. He was really thankful for the meal and said he hadn’t been helped out in awhile.
Later,
right after we left him, you smiled at me and said you were glad that I didn’t
mind that you give money to homeless people. I had just been thinking how proud
I was that you do.
September 21, 2014
Today, driving home from dinner, you told me that if you had the option to marry me all over again, you would do it.
