Happy Valentine's Day

 

Today isn’t a favorite for everyone, and I absolutely understand it. Goodness, how many years did I spend wearing black, eating heart-shaped pizzas alone in my living room, and wishing for the next day to hurry up and arrive?

(Vintage photo from the Financial Aid days...featuring Jenna, who was at our house just last week!) 

                If today is hard for you and you don’t want to keep reading here, it’s absolutely okay. It’s okay to close up blogs and social media feeds and put a little protective hug around your heart on a day that isn’t easily kind to those missing or waiting for someone to love.

                But if you want to keep reading, you’ll find that today I want to offer a well-deserved tribute to my long-awaited Valentine. Ryan, if I had only known on all those clad-in-black Valentine’s Days that you’d show up and redeem it all, maybe they wouldn’t have felt so dismal.

                Thank you, Ryan, for being my all-year coffee date. Whether it’s an early morning cup or our grocery-night Dunkin’ dates, you are my very favorite coffee date every day, all day.

                One of my favorite things about life with you? Our decompression walks around the lake. Telling the stories of our days while we take in some fresh air and Lexi burns off some energy is one of the best parts of the day.

                Even though I’m not always very good at it, I really do love sharing Boot Camp with you every week, and I’m excited to see how much stronger I’ve gotten over time. Certainly, I have far to go, but under your direction, I’ve come a long way!

                You know how couples who have children say they fall more in love with their spouse after watching them parent their children? Well, we don’t have kids, but watching you help my parents settle in at Swiss Village has brought my heart so much joy and a deeper level of love. Thank you for all the hundreds (thousands?) of things you’ve done to make their move easier.

                When I walk deep, dark valleys, as I did multiple times over the past year, you are always there. You pray in the middle of the night…you listen without trying to fix…you give the best hugs…and you show up with Blizzards. I cannot imagine the utter mess I would be on this very day if you had not been there for the hurts of the past year.

                I love the way we celebrate everything – from birthdays to monthiversaries to Fridays after hard weeks. Thank you for planning fun dates and making every celebration a memory-making joy. Thanks for posing for pictures, taking pictures, and being present for every celebratory moment.

                Another thing I love? Our date nights. I love finding fun, creative, (free?) things to do, but most of all, I just have fun getting to spend time with you. That’s my favorite.

                Each day can’t be pretty. They can’t be all saturated in coffee and dates and fun. But even on the hard, frustrating days, you’re in my corner, and you remind me that messy middles won’t be messy forever.

                You are, hands down, the best travel partner ever. You make car rides fun, you’re always willing to try something new, and you make dreams come true for me that I never could have imagined would actually come true.

                Of course, sometimes that goes to the extreme. Thanks for pushing me to try new things. And thanks for knowing when I’ve reached my limits.

                I love lake living with you. Watching sunsets from the patio or the pontoon – it doesn’t matter where we are – I love soaking up the slow days and nights with you! Thank you for being so smart about all the lake stuff. I guess all those years of hanging out on Webster paid off, right?

                Making a family together with you and Lexi has been one of the sweetest surprises of life together. I love the routines we’ve established and the fun we have together – just the three of us.

                I love talking with you about what God is teaching us both, praying with you, and worshiping with you. This past year, you were right there for every single pivotal moment in my faith journey, and you encouraged and taught me so much at every single turn.

                From weddings to anniversaries to babies to graduations – you are the best celebration date ever. Thanks for being my plus one to everything. (You’re always the most handsome date in the room!)

                Serving with you at church in all the big and small ways has been meaningful to me in ways that I didn’t expect. I’m so happy we’ve found a home for our hearts in this church, and I’m so happy we have been able to pray over its future together.

                 I love our traditions, which are many. Thanks for showing up for them and for finding them meaningful too!

                Goodbyes are never easy, but they are more comforting when shared with you. For years, I begged God to send someone to share the hard goodbyes, and you do it so well. This year we said goodbye to our Braeya girl, and I needed you…and you were there.

               You support the passions of my heart – clear down to visiting 9/11 memorials because you know how much the stories mean to me. Thank you for walking 3 miles in freezing temps to pay tribute to people whose stories you don’t even know – just because you know I’ve sat with those stories for almost a quarter of a century.

                Thank you for sharing YOUR work world with me. Thanks for always making me feel like I’m part of the family too. I love your people!

                You live the kind of life that kiddos look up to, and I love that about you. They’re watching, and you’re just YOU. And they love you for it. (Me too!)

                Ryan, your presence was worth the wait of all the hard, long, lonely Valentine’s Days. I love you and am thankful you’re here – not just on this day, but on every day. This life lived with you is rich and full in the best ways.

                Happy Valentine’s Day, my love.