I try to make sure that everyone knows how incredible of a woman I married every day of the year. Hopefully, I do a good job of that. I do truly believe that I married above my station (is saying that still a thing?) when I meet this fantastic woman.

And truth be told, I didn’t feel I deserved her. Many days, I still don’t. They say God works in mysterious ways, so there’s no explaining what God was thinking when He put Danielle and I together. I’m just trusting it was the right decision.

From the day I realized how much I loved her, there’s been nothing but growing love for her. There’s so much about her that I want to share, and I know I won’t hit on nearly a tenth of how amazing she is.

First, she puts up with me. I’m not always the nicest and pleasant lifeform in the universe to be around. But she sticks with me. I love her devotion and dedication to our marriage. When we have problems, she doesn’t want to fight, she wants to resolve the problem. And problems won’t linger. She gets me to deal with them right away, so that we can move on, repair the hurt, and strengthen our relationship again.

She also puts up with me in other ways…like my sometimes annoying Star Wars addiction. Granted, she won’t always go along with it, but she’ll acknowledge it, sometimes support it, and doesn’t try to shut it down. I’m kind of turning her to the dark side, as she’s even voluntarily purchased a lot of Star Wars themed clothing for Levi, so we can rule the galaxy as father and son,

She encourages me. Many days when I’m having a bad morning getting out of the house, I get an email in my personal inbox when I get to the office. She’s praying for me for strength, patience, calm, or whatever she’s discerned that I need that day. She cares about my spiritual health, to the point of calling me out when my language accidentally slips back into my old tongue. But she encourages me to be healthier as well; reminding me to make healthy eating choices, to get exercise, small things like that.

And, of course, on this special day of honor, she’s the mother of our child. If only you all could see exactly how well she takes care of Levi. She’s so been on top of everything; running him to his doctor appointments, researching which baby foods might be good, which snacks are the best, finding television that helpful in his growing (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, anyone?), getting him on a schedule of naps, playtime, eating, sleeping, etc. There’s supposedly no instruction manual on how to raise a child, but I swear she found one and is keeping it hidden from me. Because just about everything she does for Levi seems to be the right call.

She’s become the best mother I could have asked for to help me raise a child. Perhaps it’s best to say that hopefully I’m doing good helping her raise Levi, because with our schedules, she does the majority of the caregiving. Not that I want to put that one her as a traditional “gender-role” thing, but I acknowledge she’s a lot more capable at it than I am. And I appreciate her every day for it.

Danielle, I hope that you realize how much you mean to me. I once told you that saying I love you doesn’t express how deeply I feel for you.  I told you this phrase meant so much more than love; kar’taylir darasuum, cyar’ika.  Translated, I hold you in my heart, forever, beloved.