Him

This is an historic day and that is why I am posting on a Wednesday.  You and I usually see each other on a Friday so I hope this isn’t too weird for you!    

On December 17th 1965, my beloved husband was born!  He is 60 years old as of this very day, and I have had the privilege of spending 37 of those years beside him. 

He is a man who is very smart, funny, good to the core, and still astoundingly handsome. 

He has the patience of a saint when he is dealing with the people he works with (less so when he is trying to explain something to me that he thinks I should already know) and has a genuine kindness that folks are drawn to as soon as they meet him. 

He loves to sail, build stuff, and can fix pretty much anything that is brought to him broken–unless it’s a plumbing problem.  Plumbing isn’t his lane.   

Also, he thinks that he can sew because he’s seen it done.  Meh. 

He has always been someone who can make me laugh with just a word, and we are regularly reduced to tears over some shared ridiculous joke.  

He does have trouble reading the room sometimes (especially if there are just the two of us in it) but he is still the more diplomatic and elegant of the two of us.

When I met him he was a carefree, athletic, sweet guy who had no qualms about diving into things whole-heartedly (which is how he ended up with me!).  He is still carefree (thanks to my micromanaging) and sweet and as athletic as someone of his age gets, but by and large, we both usually look before we leap these days, whether because of our accumulation of wisdom or our accumulation of questionable experiences. 

Mind you, if there is ever a call for someone to volunteer for something or to take charge within any of the social circles that he is a part of, his hand is more likely than not to shoot up right away. 

Before he thinks things through. 

Before he figures out if he can actually afford the time and effort needed for the cause. 

Before he checks with me to see if that’s going to screw up dinner plans.  Bless him. 

Within his extended family he is deeply loved and valued, and trust me when I say that that sort of thing isn’t always a given.  Since we live far away from his kin, he relishes his role of swooping in and being the excuse for family gatherings.  He definitely enjoys the attention and the pampering he gets when he goes back to see them. I have a habit of weighing him before and then again after a visit, and the evidence of that pampering is indisputable.  

I have always been grateful for his long-suffering tolerance of my ‘quirks’.  It isn’t easy living with another human being, and I am very thankful that he hasn’t lost heart after all these years. 

However, no one is perfect and that includes him (and I suppose me too, if we have to get technical about it). He’s got his faults and his challenges, but as I have always maintained, he is perfect for me.

I treasure that snowy day in December of 1965 because it gifted me and everyone in his circle of influence, with someone who makes our lives much finer than they would be without him. And speaking for myself, he has unequivocally made me a better person through his love and his daily example. 

Happy 60th Birthday, Darling! I love you completely.