Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Love Notes

~A Honeymoon Kiss in Jackson Hole~
I married well.
Bryan often sends hand-written, tender love notes to me.  All of which I keep close to my heart
and carefully store them in a treasure box that I hope will survive my life time and perhaps find their way
to the hands of my great-grandchildren who, upon reading the letters,
will begin to understand about true love. 

But what if my treasured letters burn up in a house fire set by one or all of my sons 
while attempting to make dinner and I can barely escape with my wee-little ones, 
knowing there is not time to go back for the letters?  
Okay, that was a little dramatic...
 because my sons would never make dinner.  
But there COULD be a fire for other reasons.  
I suppose it is such thoughts that compel me to safe guard a few of my treasured love notes 
on this here world-wide-web.

For our anniversary last August Bryan and I climbed Maroon Bells.  
It was a physically exhausting experience for both of us.  
The next night we received some news concerning people we love very much 
that was equally exhausting for both of us emotionally.  
Though we were physically exhausted, our emotional anguish caused us to toss and turn 
a long sleepless night.

The next morning I was greeted with this love letter:

Bryan's top 15 reason's why he loves Jamica:

1. She said "yes", 15 years ago while holding my hand.
2. She has unwavering faith in the Restored Christ.
3. She has insight about relationships and communication that make me a better person to others.
4. She is a tremendous cook.
5. She chooses motherhood, while capable of great success in other areas outside of the kingdom of God.
6. She is selfless.
7. She studies her children and teaches me their attitudes, tendencies, and needs.
8. She has a loving, trustworthy spirit that gives people courage to reach to her for strength and help.
9. She holds a pencil with a goofy-grip.
10. She is frugal, even when she doesn't need to be.
11. She is content without a diamond, instead preferring to use the money for more practical things.
12. She loves to travel.
13. She is as beautiful on the outside as on the inside. (not a transposition.)
14. She followed me to Milwaukee, Syracuse, and Colorado Springs and rarely said a word about her sadness in missing the life events and frequent close association of her family, while much of the time raising and nurturing 6 children on her own.
15. MWIA (*"My Wife Is Awesome", the name of the huge elk that I so very generously let Bryan hang on our BEDROOM WALL!*)


I love you so much, dear wife!  Selfishly I am so glad you chose me over someone else.  You continue to make my life's dreams come true, and provide me with so much happiness.  This 15th anniversary trip to Aspen has not exactly gone the way I imagined it would.  For the second night in a row I am kept from sleep because of significant pain; both nights aching to the core of my bones.  Both nights I have you by my side though, and we share the pain together, and are hopefully stronger and more wise because of the two experiences.  I am so glad that I have you to experience both the joys and the sorrows with me.  I think I am self-deprication too often and run the risk of you coming to your senses and moving on, but I have such a sense of amazement that you chose me as your mate.  I don't know what you saw or see in me,  but I thank God everyday that I have you as my wife.  I count our meeting as a miracle.  I can only think that the hand of God was responsible for the sequence of events that allowed me to find you... And now that I have had you by my side for 15 years, my love for you, my attraction to you, my respect for you has grown so much deeper.  Then I was attracted to your beautiful long hair, your tall thin body, your genuine smile, your purity.  Now I remain attracted to those features of you, but additionally am attracted to your demonstration of compassion, your willingness to give your limited time to build God's kingdom, your fortitude and toughness in raising children away form family with an often-absent husband, your frequent expressions of faith and consecration, your patience with an impatient and jealous husband, your fidelity to me.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!  Happy Anniversary, Jame!  I adore you!  
Your grateful husband, Bryan
333333.......
444444......."


It is a beautiful thing to be even more in-love after 15 years!  
Thank you for such a beautiful life, My Love!

1 comment:

Mom Force said...

This is what a mother would hope for each of her children, a respect and love so deep that they see past flaws and imperfection and concentrate on the positive, noticing even the little things.( Not that Jamica is imperfect or flawed) Thank you Bryan for loving our daughter.