28 Things I Love About You

Today is your 28th birthday. And I don’t even know what to say. Or, correction, I don’t really know where to start. I have so many things bubbling up in my heart that itch to express through the tips of my fingers and into this post, but it’s such a chaotic mass of mush that I can’t extract coherent paragraphs. So instead, I thought I’d make a list of the 28 reasons I love you. And believe me, there are a lot more reasons than what I write down, but these are the things that come to mind first.

1. You complete me. Where I am emotional, you are logical. When I am overwhelmed, you are solid and reassuring. When I am uninspired, you are creative. When I am afraid, you are my shelter. Everything I need, it’s you.
2. You make me laugh. You loosen me up when I’m being a little too serious. You don’t let life get heavy.
3. You encourage me to utilize my talents. To the point where sometimes I get annoyed because I just want to be lazy (but that’s a good thing). You won’t let me give up on my writing even when I feel like it’s useless.
4. You think I’m funny. And I mean, that’s sort of about me, too, but there’s something about having the person you love most think you’re hilarious that just makes me love you more. Especially when nobody else would think it was that funny.
5. You will not miss church. Not unless you’re 100% dying (or I’m 100% dying) of sickness. I would sometimes all to easily let myself give up and stay at home, but even if we’re going to be shamefully late, you still make me go. And it keeps me in line.
6. You love kids. Do you have any idea how much I love that you tend to be the one playing with the kids at family gatherings? I mean. Not to mention when you play with your own kid. And I can’t wait to watch you become a father again.
7. Not once have you ever been NOT talkative to me. (except for that one month at church when you wouldn’t even look at me, before we dated) With strangers, you stop up. With me, you’re always open. It’s like night and day, and I feel special to be the one you chose to open up to.
8. That gray streak in your hair. Never cover it. It is amazing.
9. You work hard to provide for us. You aren’t afraid to do what you need to do to make sure we are taken care of.
10. Your love of Lord of the Rings. I mean, it’s kind of what brought us together, how could I not love it? And your willingness to actually get all costumed up as a character. I love that.
11. How passionate you get over the things you love. Writing. Filmmaking. LOTR. Woodworking. You know what you like and you’re not afraid to be a little bit obsessed.
12. You’re nerdy. Worse than me. You love Doctor Who and LOTR and Star Wars like nobody’s business and you know more about them than anyone I know.
13. You think I’m beautiful, and you make me feel it.
14. You are so talented, and you are always striving to be even better at what you do. You make such beautiful things, and such awesome films, yet you push yourself constantly to be better. When I would say that’s as good as it’s going to get, you find ways to improve.
15. You’re always ready to GO. To explore, to have fun, to be outside, to just discover new things. There’s always an adventure waiting, and every adventure is the best when it’s with you.
16. You protect me. You’re always willing to stand up for me when someone makes me upset (even though most of the time I’m probably just being too sensitive.) You make sure nobody bullies me. You would willingly have it out with anyone who makes me cry.
17. Well, you know, you’re hot. I had to say it.
18. You are someone who people never have bad things to say about. Everyone esteems you as a good, hardworking, talented person. I’ve never met one person who didn’t like you, one person who said something negative about you. Ever.
19. You know what you believe, and you’re not afraid to state it. You say what you think, even if sometimes it makes me cringe or sometimes I disagree, you’re not afraid to stick to your guns. And you make my “I want to love everyone” side realize that sometimes it’s more worth it to stick to my beliefs than it is to try to get along with every single person alive.
20. You put up with my emotional side. Sometimes you also point out why I’m being illogical, but most of the time you just let me cry like I need to so that I can get over it and move on. And you’re not even tired of me yet.
21. You’ve made me a better person. I am less emotional, stronger in my faith, and much tidier around the house because of you.
22. You will never ridicule me. I can be a complete idiot in front of you and I know you’ll never bring it up to others, because that’s just not who you are. You’ll never use it to make someone else laugh if you know it would embarrass me.
23. You are tenderhearted. You don’t like April Fools or teasing or pranks because it humiliates other people, so you don’t do them or participate in them. You are more understanding towards Asa and I when we’ve had bad days and just need cuddles. You won’t put people through unnecessary embarrassment just for a good laugh.
24. I never want to complain about you. I never feel the need. You don’t deserve it, and you don’t give me reasons to complain, either. You make me so thankful for YOU when I am around other married women who begin to bring up all of their husbands’ faults. Because I honestly cannot relate to them. You’re not faultless, but your faults are small and inconsequential and I don’t feel the need to bring them up… because you’re better than that.
25. You make me feel 100% okay with being myself. Nobody I have ever known has done that, not even my best girl friends. (well, maybe Sarah… but…) I didn’t realize it until I got married, but even when I thought I was being open and totally me with others, I wasn’t. I feel the need to transform just a little bit for different friends to fit in and relate, but with you? I can be me, and know that you’re not going to reject me for that.
26. You make me excited for our future. Even if all we do is have a bunch of kids and live our lives without doing anything else, it will be fun with you.
27. With you I have no bad memories. The negative moments don’t stick out, because they are so few and far between, and so mild in comparison to the happy ones.
28. You have always been consistent, and I know you always will be. I can always count on you, no matter what. You are my home. No matter where we are or what is happening, you are my safe place. And you always will be.

I love you always.

Love, me.