perfect love

i remember when my mom and dad celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary. i was six years old. my dad gave my mom 7 roses and a music box that played somewhere in time. it was my mom's favorite movie because it was so romantic. on the flower enclosure card, there was a poem that my dad had written just for her. i wish i could remember that poem. after the roses had become brittle and withered away, my mom placed the small 3"x2" card inside the music box. and there it remained for years. i would often open the music box and read the poem and dream about finding a love just as perfect as theirs.

now, 28 years later, i celebrate my own perfect love. today marks the seventh anniversary of the day i married my best friend and sweetheart. the happiest day of my life. the best decision i ever made.

this morning as we lay snuggled tightly in each others arms, john asked if i wanted to know his five favorite things about me.
of course, who wouldn't!?

1) you're just as beautiful now as the day i first laid eyes on you. awww.
2) you're the best mother in the whole world. awww.
3) you're the best wife in the whole world. awww.
4) you have the strongest testimony of anyone i know. awww.
5) i have the most fun laughing with you than with anybody else. awww.
now we all know that these things are far from the truth. i am not the perfect wife, mother, etc. that he made me out to be. but you know what? i truly believe that john was sincere when he shared his sentiments. i know that they came from his heart.he makes me feel like, although i am not perfect, i am the perfect one for him.and i couldn't love him more for that.
i didn't want to let the moment pass without sharing my five favorite things about him.
1) i LOVE your smile. it's the first thing i noticed about you the day that we met. and just on sunday as you were up on the stand conducting for the very first time, i saw it again. you have a contagious smile.
2) you are so patient and understanding. i know that i fall short in so many areas, but you have never been critical of me, in fact you have only ever praised me, lifted me up, and encouraged me.
3) you are the best father. our children absolutely ADORE you. the highlight of their day is when you walk in the door from work. this is something that appealed to me before we even started dating. that day your family came into nordstrom to visit you while you were working, your nieces and nephews just flocked to you. i knew in that precise moment, that you were going to be an amazing father.
4) i love the way you serve with your heart. in every capacity. love is your driving force. you are completely without guile and totally sincere. you do everything you do, because of love.

5) and you're as handsome as all get out.

and then we got to talking all about our wedding day. he told me that he was terrified i wasn't going to show up. funny, i thought. i never questioned whether or not he'd show up, my fear was that he'd walk out before it was all legal and binding, and leave me all alone at the alter.

i think we're both pretty grateful for that beautiful may 4th day of 2004, and that we both decided to take a chance on each other...on love.

it's been exquisite and lovely. even through the pain and tears. especially through the pain and tears.

happpy seventh, my perfect love.