Dear Husband,

This is a rubber meets the road  letter.
This is a thank you letter.
This is a letter to you, as well as those that are about to embark on marriage.
This is a letter to our children, so they will see it’s messy and beautiful.
This is a letter to let you know that I see your love in action.

“In sickness and in health” actually started when we were engaged, remember?

You broke your collarbone a week before our engagement pictures, and I foolishly let you talk me into giving you pizza while freshly medicated out of the ER. Later that same pizza was on my shoes on the side of the road (go figure) and I helped you get around for the next couple of weeks. After that, it seems we’ve certainly taken turns caring for each other over these last few years, but you, my man, have consistently dove in when things get rough.

How about our first child?

It’s all fun and games until you’re up all night with a sick infant. Between all of my, “OH MY GOSH, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?” moments, you were there with a thermometer, tylenol, and an “Everything is going to be ok.” Golly, I love you.

And most recently as I recovered from my C section.

I know it was uncharted territory for you (for me too). All of it – my pain, the hospital stuff, the kids’ schedules, running our home (so. much. laundry.) while being available to the four of us. It was a lot. It was not pretty. And you had it covered. Wow, I love you.

This postpartum body. Oofta. I’m learning to love it, and you say you’re already there. The stretch marks, the incision scar, the extra weight – it’s far from the body I married you in. And you celebrate it. Oh my, I love you.

I know what you’re going to say.

I know you’re going to say it’s your joy and responsibility to take care of your family. I know you don’t want a parade thrown in your honor. That supporting each other through thick and thin is exactly what you signed up for. But, it’s important for me to say – that among the puke, broken bones, sick kids, and surgery recovery – you’re my hero.

When we said, “in sickness and in health,” we meant it. You meant it.

I’m ever so grateful. In a world where it’s tempting to quit when things get hard, worn out, and lose their shine, you’re leaning in and loving us well.

I know you (we) aren’t perfect. I know there’s a lot of the messy stuff that we haven’t navigated well, and we’ve had to wade through the pain of that. But today, I’m pausing to call out the goodness that is love in action. The beauty in the mess.

And the sweet commitment to “in sickness or in health.”

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