Kisses Mark Time

A long time ago I had a magically romantic night with my wife as the rain poured outside our window.  It was Texas and the rain made for a cool breeze across our faces as we kissed and music played along with us.

The music seemed so appropriate at the time.  The perfect beat.  The droning romantic tones of a haunting melody. 

“i will kiss you i will kiss you i will kiss you
forever on nights like this i will kiss you i will
kiss you and we shall be together...forever”

The singer sang those lyrics as the music played to our moment.  I have loved the rain ever since.  It like so many other moments are frozen in time in our past.  Moments that remind us of the amazing romance our lives have become.

What I noticed in that romance is that the “kiss” has been such a large part of our memories.

The most important kiss is due for it’s 23rd anniversary in a few weeks.  Our first kiss.  That unexpected moment that neither of us saw coming.  That moment of courage I had never managed to muster before.  The classic “on the porch” first kiss.  Magical moment in my life.  Surprise moment of yours.  The perfect kiss.

“Upon her lips I placed the perfect first kiss.  Never so soft.  Never so gentle.  Never so long.  A moment trapped in time.  A moment trapped in my mind.  Forever perfect.  Forever ours”

We walked the streets of Chicago.  Only hours after I arrived.  An arrival unexpected and surprising.  A night out with your friends.  And your best friend dragging us all over town.  The somehow we found ourselves on the streets.  Under what seemed to be the brightest light.  On the darkest street.  In the middle of nowhere.  It suddenly went quiet.  We uttered “those” words for the first time.  Then kissed.  The moon seemed to get brighter as we kissed (maybe it was the light), but the moment remains frozen in time.  A perfect kiss at a perfect time.

“And when I kiss the moon
She smiles and I sit for a while
Count the stars until the sky turn blue
I count the stars until the sky turns blue”

They all watched as we danced.  The music played along at a level I swear only we could hear.  Slowly we danced.  In each others arms.  Now in each others lives forever.  The music played for what may as well been forever, because that music has never stopped in my head.  They all watched.  And unlike so many other “first dances” no one joined  the floor.  They left the moment for us.  As the song ended we kissed.  Your lips were so soft.  Your smile afterwards so perfect.  A moment so perfect that everyone who watched knew they were witnessing something truly beautiful.

“I could chase around for nothing to be found
But why look for something that is never there
I may get it wrong sometimes but I'll come back in style
For I realize your love means more than anything”

finally it is a moment we wish had been different.  A moment we wish had come with so much more ceremony.  Married rather than hitched.  But the “kiss” was important.  It meant we were forever together.  It was the first kiss of the perfect marriage.  By definition it was perfect.

So what brought this train of thought on?  The kiss as you dropped me off at the airport.  Sometimes memorable kisses come at the most amazing and unexpected times.

You’re the world to me.  I love you more than anything in the world.

Feeling Happy

This past weekend was my birthday. I had a great time with my family at the tailgating baseball game, grilled a really nice dinner and got some wonderful gifts. As you always do, you made my day really special. I love how you do that so consistently.

I had a strange thought during my birthday though. Why didn’t I feel happier than a usual day? I mean it was birthday right? Then a really cool thought hit me…..thanks to you I don’t need a special day to fell really happy. I feel that way every day.

Our life together is what makes me feel this way all the time. I have everything I could ever want. Beautiful wife who entertains me every day. Amazing children who make me so proud. Our future has never looked (or felt) brighter. Who wouldn’t feel happy?

I owe all of this to you. We all do our parts in making our family special. And I am certain that our “special family” is at the root of my happiness. But we all know that our family is exactly as you envisioned it to be. So we all owe you for our happiness.

Every day is fantastic. I wake up next to a simply gorgeous and sexy woman. There is always some hugging and snuggling. It is a great way to start a day. We spend most of the day together, usually just “doing stuff”, but together. We have lunch together. Dinner together. Then retire to the couch for our evening shows. Then it is off to bed where we can fall asleep close to each other before we awake and start all over again.

Summer is coming quickly and those days are even better – if that is possible. We will have the girls around full time, maybe have some picnics, maybe the zoo, but we will all be together. We can nap in the hammock together as often as you like. But as long as we are together, I am happy. As long as I can reach across and hold you hand, I am happy. As long as I can see your amazing eyes, I am happy. As long as I can hear your voice, I am happy.

Being with you makes me happy.

You’re the world to me. I love you more than anything in the world.

The Return of Superman

Much has changed since my last update.  Our future is now and we both may be a little bit scared.  No bosom of a large company to protect us – only what we accomplish in front of us.  I know you are nervous.  But no worries my love – you married Superman.

I promised that I would always take care of you and that will never change.  So to make you feel better I went into the closet and found my cape.  The return of Superman.  Time to use all of the magic powers at my disposal.  But I am going to use them not to make myself successful, but rather to make you feel safe.

You deserve all the things you have become accustomed to the past few years.  Not the material things.  That is easy.  But rather the ability to live your life as you have been doing.  Helping your family out when needed.  Bring the boys on vacation.  Surprising your sister with trips to New York.  Donating to a shelter.  The things that truly give your life purpose.  The one thing that makes you the happiest – doing things for other people.  To make sure you can continue that life, Superman has to make certain everything is ok.

I told you the other day that all that matters to me is you.  That every day I wake up knowing that if I go to sleep that night with you in my life that it was a good day.  So I am recommitting myself to making sure that you feel safe and secure.  That every day you wake up with no worries or uncertainty.  I just want you to be happy. I promise you will be.

As long as we have each other we can handle anything.  As long as we are together any challenge is possible.  Superman gets all of his powers from “us”.  I have never felt so powerful.

You’re the world to me.  I love you more than anything in the world.

Happy Mothers Day

So this morning finds you celebrating the 21st Mother’s Day of your life.  I kind of find it ironic that YOU celebrate Mother’s Day when it is us who should continually celebrate you being the Mother in our family.  But I guess we get all the other 364 days and you get this one day.

I’m not certain what other people are doing today for the Mom’s in their families and I am further uncertain that whatever we do will be sufficient for you, but I know that this is a day you deserve.  More than any other Mother in the world.

I looked up the definition of Mother and found it to be quite interesting.  It lists 5 categories:  female Parent, woman acting as parent, originator, origin of something and protector.  I think you fit under all 5.

The female stuff is obvious.  We all know you are the girl’s parent and act as the female parent in our family.  Those require no further insight.  However the others offer some real understanding of how important you are to our family.

“Originator or origin of something”.  Wow that is you alright.  You started this family.  Crafted it in exactly the image you wanted it to be.  Every moment, memory and event carefully crafted so that our girls had such amazing memories of the childhood.  From birthday parties, to Christmases, to graduations, to proms, to random reasons to make them smile…the list goes on.  You created a family that not only cares about each other, but is always there for one another.  Someday when everyone is older and we have grandkids, our girls will have been given a roadmap to a happy family that they will have picked up from years of their own mom making certain their every moment was special.

“Protector”.  Definitely your domain.  While you joke often about “running someone over with your car”, we all know that your protection capabilities are far more important than random retaliation against some mean teenage girls.  I think protector in your case is about how safe you make the girls feel.  How they know that no matter what you will make sure that they are taken care of in some way shape or form.  Sometimes so much so that they make you feel taken for granted.  I can’t remember where I read this (it was long ago), but the definition of success for a parent is realizing that you kids have come to expect and rely upon the parent that you are for them.  I am pretty sure that every night our kids go to bed knowing that no matter what lies in front of them you will be right there by their side helping them through.  You provide them the courage and the strength to know that “things will always be ok”.  You protect them from any harm.

Now is that part where I get sappy.

My love, a family isn’t a family without a mother.  A good family isn’t a good family without a good mother.  A remarkable family is only remarkable because of a remarkable mother.  We are a remarkable family, because you are a remarkable mother.

I can’t imagine you being any more perfect for the role of mother in our family.  You make us smile, you make us safe, you make us laugh and you make us all feel special and loved.  Our family is what it is because we have you with us every day.  I am so thankful that you are the head of my family.

I love you more and more every day as wife, mother and friend.  Because all of the things you provide our family as a mother you also provide me as a wife and friend.  There is nothing more amazing than the feel of one of your hugs.  It makes us all feel safe, loved, special and warm.  Only the most amazing “mother” in the world could accomplish that.

You’re the world to me. I love you more than anything in the world.