Today is Valentine’s Day. It’s really all about the marketing opportunity for retailers anymore, but I have to admit that I’m really glad I have a Valentine, and that I *am* someone’s Valentine (thank goodness it’s the same person, because THAT would be awkward!)
We’re quickly closing in on 12 years of marriage. I know that Darryl will agree with me when I say that they have been 12 really hard years. Mind you, the 12 years have not been hard BECAUSE of our marriage. In fact, if we hadn’t had each other for the past 12 years, while going through so much heartache and frustration, I can’t imagine the awful place we’d be right now.
So I’m going to tell you about my Valentine, my best friend, the love of my life. He’s awfully hard on himself, and most recently he’s taken sort of a beating from a family member, so I want to make sure to set the record straight.
Darryl is one of the most talented people I have ever known. He is a great photographer; a self-taught programmer in several programming languages; he served a mission in Japan and would take very little effort, I believe, to return to his near-native fluency; he has been an Intermediate Paramedic and is soon going to be recertified at the same level; he delivered our two babies at home – I can’t speak enough about how amazing those experiences were; he is a fantastic cook (if he leaves the stale potato chips off the casserole); he has a vast knowledge of the Gospel and has been able to answer so many questions and has been a tremendous help to the missionaries.
Darryl took me on, an “aged” 35-year-old mother of five kids. He took on my kids with their assorted issues and needs, and he never ran away, no matter how hard it got. There have been many times that he has been the better parent and has been able to help me deal with a sticky issue. I never realized before that I was doing it all by myself, something I wouldn’t recommend to anyone. We argue over which is the more thankless job: stepfather or stepmother. His children made their feelings known pretty thoroughly, so I don’t really feel like a stepmother anymore. But even when I was, I only had six months of actually having one of the stepchildren living in the home. So I guess, for our family, Darryl wins that contest :)
What’s really weird is that Darryl thinks he’s a waste of space. It makes me so sad. He has made such a contribution to the world during his short life (so far), and I look forward to seeing what’s next for him. The best thing, for me, is he is the most entertaining person. We talk and laugh and generally have a great time when we are together. We go out a lot, whether it’s for lunch or for a real date night. My life before was kind of like a dry desert; there was no talking and no sharing.
I am so grateful that we found each other and that we are able to share our 13th Valentine’s Day. I hope there are many other Valentine’s Days to come :) I love Darryl with all my heart and feel grateful that he's been mine for all these years. Heavenly Father loves me, and my Valentine tells me so :)
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2 comments:
Thank you for seeing all the good and positive attributes of our son and sharing them with the world. We are also proud of him and stand in awe at his many talents... We appreciate you for your positive and spiritual contributions to him and your family. We think you deserve to have a glorious Valentines Day. Love, Mom and Dad B
There is nothing more wonderful than for someone to know that they are loved, and I think Darryl is so lucky to have you. There is no doubt that you love him and that you let him know it! Lamon tells me I'm cheesy, but I never let a chance pass when I feel like telling Lamon I love his guts! I tell him. I always want him to be sure of that.
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