Happy Valentine's Day

Today is the culmination of our Valentine's Challenges. I haven't posted anything I've done so far, but I wanted to share this with you.

I learned a valuable lesson in trying to complete these challenges. I learned that other people's ideals of what makes romance doesn't always fit with your life. I learned that your husband is not "every other man" and his needs are special and unique. Above all, I learned that Valentine's Day should be everyday, that everything I wanted to do are things that I ought to be doing every single day.

My husband (and yours) deserves to know every day that I appreciate him, that I don't only come to him when I have some negative issue to deal with. He deserves to know that he makes me happy with all the little things he does, not just the big, showy things. He deserves to be treated with love and respect, simply because he is the man I promised to love and honour all the days of my life and because I complete him and he completes me.

He needs to know that I could love him, even when he does something that upsets me. I need to make him understand that he isn't a failure just because he can't give me things that I want, material or otherwise. I need to let him know all the time that I appreciate how hard he works and that I support him in his dreams, goals, problems. I need to let him know that its okay to lean on me sometimes, just as I lean on him.

I learned that the greatest gift we can give to each other is ourselves, completely. The greatest gift I can give to him is my faith and trust in him and all of my love, all of me.

So, to complete my challenge.. I'm going out on the limb and posting the poem I made up for my husband this year...somewhat edited, gotta keep some things private ;)  This is my grand all-out gesture.. I'm letting the whole world know what my man means to me

Thank you for choosing me to share your life with. Thank you for loving me and wanting me Thank you for giving me the precious gift of motherhood Thank you for working so hard so that I can stay at home I don't tell you often enough what you give to me  I don't tell you how much I appreciate you I  don't build you up and inspire you enough But I do think all these things are true I believe in you and our love, I thank God that I am your wife I love what I have with you, I can't imagine living any other life. You fill me so completely, Way deep inside my soul You are the other half of me Without you I'm not whole I'm glad I have you to share my forevers Each dawn and setting sun To embrace each joy and sorrow To lean on when my strength is gone While all the world celebrates today With candy and flowers and hearts Each day for me is Valentine's Day Because you and I are never apart I never want to forget  The how and why I love you so The memories of our beginnings I never want to let go When I look in your eyes I want to feel Like that young girl who's heart you stole I want to make you feel young and strong And handsome ..I want to make you feel whole You know in your heart, we were meant for each other God blessed our union in heaven above We may make mistakes, but we stick together Cause we've got A Groovy Kind of Love You inspire such a depth of emotion in me Such passion, such desire, so bold I want you, I need you, can't be without you Forever, to have and to hold. I am yours, completely, heart, mind, body and soul This is the pledge that I made on that altar A pledge I forever will keep. I intend to be by your side forever, to give you all that I am and I have. To go through the good and the bad Till God calls me home to sleep I love you my darling, and I leave you now with the Song of Ruth.. Wherever you go, I shall go Wherever you live, so shall I live Your people will be my people And your God will be my God too Wherever you die, I shall die And there shall I be buried beside you We shall be together, forever And our love will be the gift of our lives I give you the gift of my life again Brian. It is the only gift I have and yet, it is the only one that you truly need. I give you my heart, my faith and my trust. I will walk on fire for you. I will conquer all the demons that I have to. I will walk out on the limb. I will take risks. I will let go of my fears.... because you are more important than my pride, my fear, my fragile self-confidence, my insecurities. I know that with God at my side and your arm around me I can do anything, conquer anything. Would you be my Valentine... forever I hope that you and your family have a wonderful Valentine's Day and you get to make your husband feel like he's a king today.. and always. May God's grace and blessing be with you and yours.