To My Angel…On Our Anniversary

June 18, 2004

My Dearest Chet,

I am the most blessed woman on this planet. Most women dreamt of their Prince Charming when they were little girls, and then grew up and decided that he didn’t exist. I am not one of those women. I am fortunate enough to wake up to my Prince Charming every morning.

Your first Father's Day--you never looked more handsome in my eyes.

You have shown me, for 5 glorious years, what it is like to be loved, and in turn how to truly love someone. You have provided a foundation for our children to use in forming their relationships down the road. You’ve given our daughter, Etta, a sort of model that shows her what to expect from the men in her life. I have no doubt that she will take your example and use it to guide her heart.  And you have shown our boys what being a good man is all about.  You are forever the voice of reason, calm, reassurance, security, honor and integrity.  You are understanding, forgiving and unashamedly loving.

Daddy and Etta

 

I didn’t daydream about you when I was a little girl. I dreamt of someone who could never hold a candle to you. I never realized that men like you existed, and I certainly never knew that I was deserving of a love like yours.

Prince Charming, My Angel

Your smile melts my heart. You have a way of expressing the most heartfelt sentiments in the oddest of times. When my hair is a mess and I am completely exhausted, you’ll say something lovely and completely unexpected.  I know that those words aren’t planned, and your sincerity is overwhelming. You have made me feel like a princess from day one. On those rare occasions when we are not both pulling “parent-duty” and are able to just bask in each other’s company, anyone would swear that we were in that “honeymoon” stage of love. The cynics out there don’t believe that these feelings can continue for this long and beyond, but you and I are proof that they are wrong.

I want to shout it from the rooftop what a wonderful man you are. When I hear of women who are in less than ideal relationships, it saddens me to know that they are missing out on the kind of love that you have blessed me with. Even sadder still is the fact that so many of them have given up on finding someone of your caliber. You are that fabled “knight in shining armor,” only you are as real as the sky is blue.  You are my best friend and the love of a lifetime.  You encourage me in every crazy venture that I take.  You honestly want me to be happy even when my whims change like the wind.  You push me when I need pushing.  I always know that if I should stumble and fall, you will be there to catch me.  I feel so proud to call you my husband, and honored to be the mother of your children.   Your mom and dad did such a great service to me when they instilled in you the values that you have.  I could never have thanked your mother enough for doing such an awesome job in helping you to become the man that you are.    I know that she looks down on you and adoration and pride well up in her heart.

Soul Mates

You promised to “show [me] a whole new world,” and boy did you ever. You’ve opened my eyes to unconditional love, and love of myself, and for that I am forever grateful. We are not perfect. We disagree sometimes and we have spirited debates. Even in those moments, your love shines through, and makes me want to be a better person. You have so much good in your heart that you bring out the best in those around you. You can take a volatile situation and with your words, diffuse it. I am constantly in awe of you–whether I constantly show it or not.

A "Match" made in Heaven.

I never thought that I would look forward to getting older, but I do. I get tears in my eyes when I see a loving, elderly couple because I long for the day that we ARE that couple. I want nothing more than to sit on the porch with you and marvel at a beautiful sunset and what a beautiful life we’ve shared together. We may have found each other later in life than I would have liked, but we did find each other. As corny as it may sound…in our case, I swear that Match.com created a match that was made in heaven. I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you are the one creature that was put on this planet solely for me. I know in the depths of my soul that God intended for you to love me, and for me to love you. I am overcome with emotion when I think of what a beautiful union He formed with our hearts, so much so that it is hard to swallow at this very moment.

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for allowing me to love you. Here’s to a lifetime of anniversaries, Angel.

With all of my love…today, forever, and always,

Natalie