Oh my sweet boy, your mama is a hopeless romantic. Lucky for me, I married your daddy…who not only understands and appreciates that, but also shares the same trait. We celebrate Valentines Day every year not out of obligation, but because it is an opportunity to pause, change our routines, and be extremely intentional about expressing the love we have for one another.
I love your daddy so. very. much.
I’m telling you this now not to make you roll your eyes, but so that you will know that true love is real. There is a growing idea in our culture that true love is something fictional…something that only exists in movies and fairy tales. There is a population of people who want you to believe that marriage is an outdated idea and that relationships that appear to have true love are somehow secretly flawed or fake. They are trying to tell you that true love doesn’t exist. Well, my sweet boy, it does. It’s real and raw and God has blessed us with it. Thanks to Him, your daddy and I have a marriage that makes me open my eyes every morning with a smile and close them at night awash in gratitude. Your dad makes me feel beautiful, challenges me to be the best version of myself, keeps me guessing, and loves me so well. He encourages me when I feel overwhelmed, he shows me he loves me in the most creative ways, and he makes me laugh constantly (no surprise there!). He is strong, he is passionate, he is smart. He has a hunger for adventure that surprises me, a mind that amazes me, and a heart that inspires me.
I am head over heels in love with your daddy and have been for over 10 years. He’s not perfect. I’m not perfect. We are living creatures who mess up, hurt each other, and say the wrong things sometimes, but we forgive…we repair…we love. Each and every day, I thank God for bringing your daddy into my life and every day I choose to love him with every ounce of my being.
I pray for you every night and frequently those prayers turn to the person who will one day capture your heart. Such a funny thought for my sweet 11 month old! As far away as it seems, I pray that you would never settle for less than the incredible life God has intended for you and this includes your love life. It may take longer to find and it might look a little different than you expect, but it will far exceed anything you could have crafted for yourself. I pray for your spouse and pray that you will have a relationship founded on faith. I pray that you will feel loved, supported, respected, encouraged, and empowered by your marriage. In praying for your future spouse, I also pray that you will be an honorable husband. That you will take your vows seriously. That you will love without reservation or hesitation. That you will forgive, demonstrate grace, and choose daily to show your love in many different forms.
With the help of your daddy, you presented me with chocolates and a card asking me to be your first Valentine. I almost melted into a puddle right on the floor. With tears in my eyes, I snuggled you up and accepted your request, praying that when the time comes for you to ask someone new to be your Valentine, you would never settle for less than the true, beautiful, authentic love I have found with your daddy.
I love you, lovebug.
Mama