Thankful

Today is Turkey Day.  A day I look forward to every year.  A day when I marvel at the love of my life and her culinary ability.  But most importantly a day I always remind myself to give thanks for all of the blessings in my life.

My plan was to finally give that toast at dinner that made the girls cry and realize how lucky they are to have you as a mom.  How lucky they are to have witnessed two parents who truly loved and cared for them.  How lucky they are to have been able to watch the worlds greatest love story for their entire lives.  But I know I would wind up a blubbering idiot and they would laugh at me.  So I will wind up with some quick cheesy toast that won't mean as much as I want it to, but I will reach over and squeeze your leg so you know secretly that my toast was meant to be all about you - and us.

My life is so blessed.  I mean it wholeheartedly when I say that I want to go to church.  It dawned on me about 2 years ago that my life is so charmed that there has to have been some kind of divine intervention watching out for me.  That some higher power led me to this life and that I owe something back for all of my good fortunes.

If I look back at my life I know one thing.  There is one thing that changed everything for the better.  It was the day I met you.  That day - and the reason I know June 11 is so important - started my life on a path to being truly happy.  Not just smiles and giggles happy, but true happiness.  The kind that makes everything that happens to me - good or bad - seem to just have a place in life.  The kind of happiness that reminds me that no matter what I encounter I know exactly what to do and where to go to remind myself that everything is going to be just fine.

I am going to completely ramble throughout this post.  Becuase no matter how hard I try I can't seem to find the words to tell you how lucky I am that we have each other.  Do you have any idea how many times in the past almost 30 years I have reached for that amazingly soft hand of yours just to make me feel better?  How many times we have hugged at the exact right time to calm me down?  How many times we have kissed and I suddenly felt warm?  Its a love story for the ages.  A true fairy tale.

I won't even discuss how much we have been through.  I won't talk about struggles and pain.  I won't mention bad times.  You know why?  Because they are all insignificant in the grand scheme our of truly happy lives.  They were nothing more than minor tests of our love and commitment to each other.  Important lessons to remind us that together we could do anything.  Reminders that our love will overcome anything put in front of us. 

I will remind you of all of the good times we have had together.  The amazing laughs.  The amazing memories.  The countless little things that have made our relationship so special.  As we have grown together I have learned that these little things are what makes a truly happy couple.  It isn't the big things like fancy trips, fancy cars, fancy houses and major events.  It is the sitting on the couch together, it is the holding hands in the car, it is the inside jokes, it is the stories and memories of the day to day stuff that makes us special.

I watched that movie yesterday.  "The Family Man".  In the movie, there are two lines that I know apply to us.  She reminds him that "they already envy us".  Do you have any idea how much that applies to us?  After almost 30 years, I am constantly amazed at just how many people look at us and are reminded that we do it the right way.  That they wish they had what we have.  Not our belongings, but our relationship.  Something money will never be able to buy.  They are jealous that two people love each other so much and are so proud and aware of it that it defines them.  That we both know that nothing else in this world matters so long as there is "us".

The other line takes place when he is in the car.  He hasn't yet realized that this "glimpse" is one of a perfect life.  He is questioning everything and calls their life a "challenge".  She turns to him and says, "really?  I'd call it a success story".  It is exactly what we are my love.  A story of success.  A success story at so many levels.  A story that if anyone other than us told, they would talk about how we came from little and wound up with so much.  Yet, I think we would tell it differently.  We would tell it as if it has been a success all along.  Before we had nice cars, houses, furniture, jewelry, etc.  We would tell the story and focus on how happy we have been.  How safe we make each other feel.  How confident we are that together we can endure anything.

So today on Thanksgiving I am yet again thankful for us.  Thankful that somehow, some way we wound up together.  That whatever supreme being is up there blessed us both with each other.  Thankful that I am so in love that I have moments where I simply can't wait to say it to you.  Thankful for your touch.  Thankful for your scent.  Thankful for your smile. Thankful for your humor.  Thankful for your charm.  Thankful for the romance.  Thankful for the silliness.  Thankful for the millions of conversations.  Thankful for the adventures.  Thankful for the life we have together.

Simply put.  I am thankful for you.

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

You know something, my love?  That line above has been true every time I have typed it.