Good Men

When I was five, I used to spend my evenings on a little bench on the balcony next to my father, then in his mid-twenties and a couple of years younger than I am now. We talked about anything and everything. I remember telling him I would never get married. He and my mom separated when I was two, so you can understand where the sentiment came from. Instead of laughing off my childish proclamations, he took me seriously. He told me not to say never, but to wait for the right one — a good man, someone who will make me laugh ’till I cry, someone who will love me more than the world.

At 29, I’m married to my best friend and the love of my life. He makes me laugh every single day, and yes, often to the point of crying. He is my rock, my gravity, my home. Yesterday was a really bad day for me, but he was right next to me the entire time, keeping me together and making me laugh through it all. I’ve always been stubborn and independent, and I insist on handling things on my own. I’m grateful for a husband who’s just as stubborn and insists on never letting me have to.

So here’s to the man who loved me first and taught me never to settle, and to the man who loves me more than the world and makes every single day worth living. I’m incredibly lucky, and I am grateful everyday.