A Birthday Letter to Jay

Dear Jay,

Happy Birthday!  I'm obsessed with you.  Did you know that?  The word obsessed has a really negative connotation sometimes, but it is also defined as "to preoccupy or fill the mind continually, consume, have a hold on."  

You, and our life together, consume me.  I adore you, and I adore this little life we are building together.  Do you know what one of my favorite times of day is?  It's when I come home after yoga and I JUST miss you before you go to work, and the house smells like your cologne and coffee.  I don't use either of those things, but combined at the right time of the day it just smells like home.  

This morning when you were mimicking a man with a walker it made me laugh so hard, not only because you are super duper funny but also that 34 looks YOUNG on you, kiddo.  It makes me think of my patients who try so hard to remember ANYTHING as their dementia advances, and one of the things that is hardly ever forgotten is a spouse.  I can't wait to be the type of old lady who only wants to talk about her dead husband in the nursing home, because there was really nothing better than him in her whole entire life.  And also because you're going to die first.  You are the very best thing in my entire life, and I don't say that lightly considering my love affair with my family, besties, and boxed wine.   You win.  

I want you to know how much I appreciate the sacrifices that you make for me.  You took a great job that you happen to be great at so that I could be a stay-at-home dog mom slash yoga teacher slash grad student, and I know that it wasn't your dream job.   I'm SO glad that you have wonderful work friends, but please know that every day I get to do things I love and you go to work so that we can have insurance I feel guilty that I'm not the one with an office job so that you can be creative and do all the chores and laundry and pay the bills and handle grown-up....wait.  I got off topic.  You sacrifice every day to provide us with this beautiful life, and I'm so grateful.  Please don't think I take it for granted.  It makes me think that you're slightly obsessed with me, too.  

We talk so much about adventure, and while I believe that big adventures are in our future, it's been SUCH a fun adventure just getting to know each other and learning how to be the best we can be together over the last 4 years.  FOUR!  You had just turned 30 when we met.  It feels like a lifetime and 5 days all at once.  The next adventure is right around the corner - we just have to figure out where it'll take us!  That's the fun part.  The life that we've built here is just amazing, and I only imagine that it'll get better each year.  

So, happy birthday, my very funny bald man.  It is the hugest honor sharing this life with you.  

Oh an also?  I got you another present that you don't know about yet and it won't be ready until after our cruise.  It's awesome, and you will always be an inferior spouse who can't compete with my gift-giving ability.  

The end.