You Are Really Loved

At Christmas my husband filled a little photoalbum with three cd's, one of them for Joel Henderson, with whom my husband played in Indy. That was 'back in the day.' Tickets to Joel for Thursday, Feb 8 in Indy. Joel H has been pretty busy touring with Over the Rhine, one of our favorite old band.

My husband sent me a giftcard. He saved another for dinner. He checked into an affordable Indy hotel, laid red tissue paper in the room decorated in chocolates, caramels, cremes and roses.

He 'splurged' on a bottle of Zin, my favorite, and went to Aldi for a basketful of strawberries, greens, fresh salsa, carrots, and those little sweet peppers. He ushered me into this on Thursday, and for the past 30 or more hours, we've set aside a number of cares to age our marriage like all fine vintages should be aged.

Thank you, my dearest love.
1. For years and years of music you wrote, you found, you played.
2. For these sneaks that keep us from descending into a marriage of cohabiting and keep the love for real.
3. For real love.
4. For being Mr. Romantic, which is Mr. February, which is way better than Mr. November.
5. For penny-pinching but not on romance.

I've had a princess life with this man. I know there are wives out there who'd love to have a man as faithful, careful, spiritual, soulful, beardful, manful, selfless, kindness.

6. For water. Seriously. I think I drank two gallons today. It tasted like wine.
7. For good work days, when I get to make a kid feel successful, when I get to deliver good news, when I affirm who others are, when gradebooks are joyful rather than depressing, when my inbox is less than 100 and most of those are just 'around' to check up on later.
8. For the skill to converse with non-English speakers.
9. For not having to combat logosmoi, the anger bats, worries and temptations of life for a day or so.
10. For Romans 12, a good chapter on living life Godly.
11. For unexpected reminders, like the lyrics of Victoria Williams' song up there.
12. For trumpet players who do muted trumpet until I feel we should all march on down Bourbon Street.
13. For the little colors and flavors of life.
14. For the chance to make folks laugh. I love to make them sigh with contentment, chuckle with joy, and worry a bit less.
15. For a few people who keep us from worrying and hating ourselves, the friends who 'talk you down,' create zones of safety, who don't judge but believe the best about you.

I am living a blessed life. I think I used to call it a 'charmed' life. Glory most of all to God. For in the dark reaches of the night, He awakens me to prayer and lets me fall asleep again.

You are really loved.