There are so many words that I could use to describe the love you and I share, My Love. I've written this before, mentioning that very thing. Knowing I can't find words adequate enough, I will still write just a bit about how thankful, grateful, happy, glad, and loved I am because of you...because of Us.
132 months. Approximately 572 weeks, 4015 days.
That's about how long we've been married. We've been together for longer than that.
I've been with you almost half of my entire life.
I've gladly, lovingly, whole-heartedly, and passionately, given you my days...for well over a decade.
This year, I had the perfect gift planned for you. We went away for the night, which we're hardly ever able to do. It was so much fun, and I took a ton of pictures. The pictures were what would make that special gift happen. Then technology erased all the pictures, and they are irretrievable. Trying to figure out again what the deal was, because it was so important, I called you on the phone. Mid-sentence, no way of stopping them, the tears just started flowing. I was overwhelmed, upset, and extremely sad that I wouldn't be able to do what I had planned for you.
After realizing I couldn't hide that I was crying, and trying my best to stop, I heard you say on the other end, "Baby, I don't care about a present. Our anniversary is about Us, that's all that matters..."
That, My Love, is one of the trillion reasons I am grateful for you.
Indeed, it's about Us.
And in this great big world, full of opinions, lavish gifts, small gifts, everything one can think of to gift another person.......when it all comes down to it, all I can give you is little ol' me. I don't see much, I see a ton of work to be done on myself. I see numerous imperfections. I see a mess.
But when I think of how you see me, how you love me, how you are with me, with Us, that's not what I see. You make me beautiful, valuable, intelligent, attractive, and loved.
Darryl James Schafer, I love you.
I will give you all my decades, I will give Us my decades. Because since we've been together, I have seen this gift we've been given. When we stood there on Saturday, June 28th at 2:00 in front of God and everyone else, I meant every word I said. I will always mean every word I said, and I'm glad you've given me a lifetime to prove that to you. God knows I'm grateful, and I don't take what we have for granted.
Every night before our son goes to bed, I tell him the same several things. One of those is, "Every day you have choices, make them good ones."
One beautiful day outside near a swing, you got down on one knee and asked me to be your bride. I had a choice to make.
I chose you...I chose Us. Life will keep happening, the world will keep spinning, we will keep aging, but we will continue to do it together...which is my favorite place to be.
Everyday I have, I will still choose you...I will choose Us.
This life. Our vows. The valleys and mountains that come our way. The way we handle the sorrow and grief this life hands us, together. The way we go through every moment, everyday, every week, every year, and find ourselves still loving, wanting, holding, encouraging, supporting one another...
I'm gonna keep givin' you my decades, My Love. I hope that will always be the only gift that matters to you.
It's you and me, Baby. Us.
Happy 11th Anniversary.
I Love You. More than anything, forevermore.
