All the Reasons I Love You

I wrote this letter to my husband February 2, 2009… since paper never lasts around here, I was SO surprised to run across it and I figured I would journalize it here so it gets preserved :)

Barry,

I love you – flaws and all. You are more of a man than I could have ever hoped for; in many ways, more of a man than I even thought you’d be… but it’s only fair, because you made me into more of a woman than I probably ever would have become without you in my life. I love you for so many reasons – simple and complicated. I love that you’ve always been happy when we found out we were having each of our children. I was mostly terrified, but you were always so reassuring. I love that no matter how wrong we both know I am at times, you will accept my stubbornness and always come apologize to me so we can move on. And yes, I do realize you do that just because you know my apology will soon follow! I love that you text me when you go to work early so that when I wake up, I will see that you said good morning to me. I love how you will call back after we get off the phone sometimes just because we forgot to say “I love you.” I love the man you used to be because I could always look in his eyes and see his desire to be the man you are now. I love the man you have become – a man of strength, wisdom, intelligence, integrity, and confidence. You are a good man, baby… a leader… and I am so thankful God chose to bless me so completely by making me your helpmate.

I love the way you laugh in mid-sentence when you think of something funny and you have a hard time finishing your thought… by the time you finish telling me, I roll my eyes because you built it up so much that it’s never as funny as you initially found it to be! I love the goofy faces you make when you see me half-dressed… and the silly things you do when you know you’ve gotten on my bad side! I love the way you always bless your food (even if you are so impatient that you don’t always wait for me before you start eating!), never forget to pray at night, and make a point to let me know how beautiful I am to you. I know I don’t always respond to things like you need me to and I will probably always try to see roses when you see coal; my nature is to make the best and see what’s good and I can’t change that innate sense of positivity, but I hope you know that I really do understand your feelings even if I find it difficult to show from time to time.

You’re my best friend, baby. We’ve been through hell but you know what? We are overcomers… CONQUERORS! We’re not always going to see eye to eye but we’re always going to love through our differences and be one skin in the end… one body united by the Will of God. I love you. I love the way you are so predictable, yet so often surprise me. I love the way you smile, the way you walk… how you put nothing before your family. I love the way you bite your lip when you’re at your boiling point. Even when you’re mad, you’re so attractive :) I love how you will go to the store for me three times in a row, even if you do fuss a little, and how no matter how angry we get, you always find a way to make it known that nothing is bigger in this world than our LOVE!

I love you. More. You’re my everything. My first. My last. My only. My all. My heart. My soul. My life.

When you feel frustrated, baby, just remember:

• Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart. | Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will {…} make the justice of your cause shine like the noonday sun. | Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. {Psalm 37}
• I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. | Many {…} are the wonders you have done; the things you planned for us, no one can recount to you. | Many will see and fear {…} and put their trust in the Lord. {Psalm 40}

I love you. Always.
Kat

We’ve been through a lot together, but one thing I know for sure is that if I don’t love him enough to forgive him then I don’t deserve him. We’ve had our ups and downs, but when I think of him, I always smile… and that – to me – says it all.