20 Reasons

You have to walk carefully in the beginning of love;  

the running across fields into your lover's arms can only

come late, when you're sure they won't laugh if you trip.  

~Jonathan Carroll

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Dad of the year and I have been married 20 years today.  Wow!  Where did that time go?  It's been one heck of a roller coaster all those years.  Even though I tease you often, you put up with me.  At times I've been emotional, you've put up with me.  Times when I maybe made you feel inadequate, you put up with me.  People say this often but I can't really imagine my life without you.  So, here are 20 reasons why I love you (which was tough because obviously there are more than 20 reasons).  Here we go:

1.  We have been together since I was 16 years old.  I don't know of many other people who have known me through growing up, drunken college years, job hunting, child rearing and so much more.  You have been there every step of the way.  Thanks for loving me even when I was awkward.

2.  You always make me laugh.  Best of all, I don't even think you try.  You have this inherited way of messing up words in a manner that comes out so silly I can't help but laugh. Our dog will forever have hair on his lung and you will always be in need of a rice krippy.  I love how you make me laugh.

3.  You have, quite literally, seen me through thick and thin.  I have watched several relationships over these 20+ years fall apart over silly things like how appearances have changed.  You've always been there, telling me how beautiful I am and always will be.  You keep telling me even when I question it myself.

4.  You care in a way most people never will.  This is why you are in the profession you are.  Those beginning years were tough to see how, at times, victims took a front seat to me as your wife but I get it.  I truly get it.  And I honestly wouldn't want it any other way now.  You care for people when no one else does and nurture complete strangers in a way I never thought was possible.  Then you come home to your family and do it all over again.

5.  Calming fears should be on your resume.  Whether irrational or not, you always have a way of making me feel better.  Then other times you laugh me into getting over it.  But you never, ever, make me feel stupid (even when sometimes it is stupid).  

6.  You don't judge my need to hit snooze many times on the alarm (which seems to have gotten worse).  You even let me sleep in on the weekends sometimes when all I can utter is a grunting response.  

7.   You helped handle midnight feedings.  Whew, those first few months with #1 were hard!  But you were right there with me, eyes barely cracking open, bottles falling out of hands because we were falling asleep.  I appreciated you wanted to be involved and I love that you did.  

8.  You saw us through colic.  Wow!  Everyone tells me I will forget that time period, but I haven't.  I was scared, tired, and some days just clearly out of my mind.  There were days you held two babies, our real one and me.  We got through it like champions and now wear the "I survived colic" badge.  (I like to pretend there's a badge for that because it really was so awful.)

9.  We would never, ever buy a tiny house, but you watch Tiny House Hunters with me like it's a second job.  I love that about you.  And please, let's never, ever buy a tiny house (aside from our camper).  I love you but I need my space, man!  And those closets.  Ouch!

10.  I love how fussy you can be about your hair.  You are not a worried about his hair guy but boy, if the girls plant one hand on that head after being freshly groomed, it's like an odd game of tag.  

11.  Sunday night cooking!  I love your night to cook even when your recipe repertoire has grown to a whopping 8, but I love you just the same.  I don't think words can ever express to you how much I enjoy those nights.  

12.  "Don't worry until you have something to worry about."  Oh, those same words uttered by my father now come leaping out of your mouth.  They oddly set me straightly back on my path. 

13.  The way you make me feel like I can accomplish anything.  Boy have there been hurdles for us.  There was never a time when you didn't make me feel I could soar over them.  Even when a major project at work stares me in the face with a short completion time, you step up at home and cheer me along every step of the way.  I always hear those encouraging words you have for me, even when at times I'm being defiant and stubborn (and you think I'm not listening, but I am).  

14.  You always kiss me goodbye in the morning.  This is crucial as the spouse of a police officer. 

15.  Speaking of badges, you should wear a "Dad of Girls" badge of honor proudly.  There are days the estrogen is rampant in this house.  You take the yelling, crying, silent treatment, throwing things, stomping, door slamming and giggling like a champ!  

16.  You know all my secrets and love me because of them, not in spite of them.  

17.  You exercise with me.  Let's face it, when it comes to fitness, I am not the easiest person to get along with (I blame the estrogen).  Yet you continually come back for more.  And, you never yell at me when I forget my inhaler and am mid-asthma attack (yes, that really happens).  

18.  You let me hog the bed.  Speaking of bed hogs, you have grown quite accustomed to hogging yourself.  You seem to recognize those times when I need the extra space and don't complain.  I know this is one of just many times you set your own needs aside for one of us.  I see when you do those things.

19.  All of our inside jokes and embarrassing moments.  We have a ton of these.  I love how one instance can cause us to remember something that happened years ago.  And we laugh just like it was yesterday.  Like that time your pants broke on our wedding day and my mom had to fix them?  Ah, memories.  

20.  After everything we've been through, we are still together...better.  I know I am a better person because my life has been blessed by you.  Thank you for putting up with me all these years.  

Happy 20th anniversary dad-of-the-year.  Here's to many more!