To My Dear and Loving Husband
If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were loved by wife, then thee;
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me ye women if you can.
I prize thy love more than whole mines of gold,
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee give recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay;
The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.
Then while we live, in love let’s so persever,
That when we live no more we may live ever.
BUT FIRST, A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR: Certainly, I had the time to write a poem for my beloved ( I have been anticiapting this day for almost a year, maybe a little longer) and, of course, I had the heart to do so as well; not to mention a pen and paper of which I have an abundance of both. No, the one thing that truly handicapped me from taking on the wonderful task of writing a poem dedicated to my love of 10 years, was the mental wherewithal to write the caliber of poem I desperately wanted to share with him. A poem exactly like Ms. Bradstreet's. When I first came across it, I immediately thought to myself, "Self, this is utterly perfect. Go ahead, use it." Now, in a perfect world, I would have memorized this poem and recited it to my Richard but, alas, my brain is functioning at an embarassing sub-par level, barely sufficient for domestic operations, let alone social events and recitation. Sudoku? Forget it. So, here I am, using Ms. Bradstreet's eloquent words to articulate my love for my husband, in a fashion and air so sweet, I alone could not have dreamed to capture. As such, I would like to thank, with sincere and humble appreciation, Anne Bradstreet, for this delicate and timeless poem that bespeaks the words my heart wishes to convey to my dear and loving husband.
I do not know, exactly, where to begin except to say that my life, more than as a wife and a mother, really began with Richard. Everything in my life led to our meeting and becoming friends and loving one another. Everything of consequence, other than my birth, started with him. My life just made perfect sense, with him. Even before we met, God was preparing me for him (and him for me). Yes, He was preparing us for one another, and for all His varied plans, blessing and sufferings. Indeed, from the very beginning, God willed us to be together; and to think, that out of all the people in the WHOLE wide world, God picked out this man to be my husband and He picked lil' ol' me to be his wife. Isn't that just wildly AWE-some?
Ever since that moment, Richard has shown me what it means to love another person. He has shown me what reason and patience look like. He has shown me a love I didn't think existed: a true, sincere, Christ-centered love. He has also shown me how to be on time.
Yes, I knew He was the man for me when, while dating, he told me he wanted to help me get to heaven and that I was to help him as well. That beyond this life here on earth we can look forward to loving one another, for all eternity. Eternity. Nothing is so pure and and perfect as this.
Okay, I know all this probably sounds cliche and Hallmark-y (and for that I am sorry) but I just have no other way to say it. On our wedding day, I couldn't conceive of ever loving this man more than I already did. I didn't think it was possible. He is the one person in this whole wide world I never tire of being around; indeed I enjoy his presence with a keen satisfaction. He is my best friend.
I thank God for the gift of Richard, his love, his companionship, and his faith, every day. Yes, I love this man more than I ever have, and more than I ever thought possible. He has always held my heart and he has never treated it as anything less than precious.
Now moving on to the celebration: once we secured a babysitter (sucker) and left all 4 kiddos at home, Richard and I drove to Bricktown in downtown Oklahoma city to stroll around and have a nice dinner. We were practically giddy as we walked into Nonna's Ristorante (get the Bruschetta and salad with house dressing, you will NOT be disappointed! ) where we started the night off right: with drinks. I had the House Sangria ( it was white? and DEEElicious) and Richard had a Mojito.
Once we finally decided what to order, Richard hands me a little silver box, and sitting inside this little silver box was the most beautiful ring I have ever seen. For me. I now call it....my preciousss.
Here comes the wine...
Happy 10 year anniversary to my dear and loving husband. May our good God grant us many more years of love, laughter and friendship unto a ripe old age!
