What Is Love

I bet there will come a day one of you asks me how you know you are in love (as your Uncle Jake once asked me when he was first dating your Aunt Lacey). You may also ask me why I fell in love with your Dad. Since our anniversary is coming near I have given a lot of thought to both of these questions, which led me to believe you may ask me for the answers one day. I decided to share the reasons with you, today.
Boys, I can't explain why I love Dad- I just do! But to share what I love about him is easy! How do I think one knows they are in love? I have thought about this question a lot. I mean a lot- a lot. In really internalizing and taking time to think about how I knew I loved your Dad:

It’s not WHAT I would do for him, but WHY I’d do it.
It’s not WHAT I say to him, it’s WHY I say it.
I couldn’t then and can hardly now be away from him or stop thinking about him.
I believe love is forgiveness. We forgive both big and small and move forward.
I think of the consequences for HIM due to MY actions.
I challenge myself every day to be a better person because of his inspiration.
It is unconditional... and this again circles to forgiveness.
It's not about a feeling, but about a decision... I just knew in my heart that he was the person for me - not because he is perfect – (some) of his imperfections attracted me to him...
His strength is my weakness and visa versa. We continue to balance one another out and
There came a time (early on) that I was willing to do anything for him. I put his happiness before my own.
I woke up (and still do) asking myself, “How can I make today a better day for him?”

Love is unexplainable. It is both mysterious and vast. Love has different intensities and you can love (many) people along the way. Chances are you will experience this complexity called love many different times. Each will be unique to you, but once in a while you meet someone special who just knocks you off your feet. It is different and you will know when it happens. I promise you. I really do. Love is not a feeling, but an act of will. It is the most beautiful and ugliest of mind-sets. Basically, love is not Hollywood it is a whole lot of work. It may seem to appear naturally, but to keep it you must work towards bettering yourself every day. When I came to the place that I wanted to commit myself to this pledge I knew it was more than an infatuation, but that I indeed loved Adam.

Now, why did I fall in love with your Father?
He is a good time. I can’t deny that it was fun-fun-fun all of the time.
He has an incredible tender heart.
His laughter and smile is infectious.
His loyalty is unbreakable.
Our interests are different, which leads to new experiences and learning.
He is a gentleman and practices chivalry.
His knowledge is in areas so foreign and mysterious to me.
He dreams.
He was so thoughtful… flowers and dates all of the time.
The way he touches me gives me butterflies (even today!).
He is easy going, not having a lot to ruffle him.
As GG would say, “He picks and chooses his battles” letting everything else fall where it falls.
He gives his time to not only me, but to others.
His word is true and actions honest.
He is feisty.
I fell into like with his family on day one.

The reasons may seem generic, but they are my reasons. He quickly became a comfort to me and I came to trust him quickly, which doesn’t happen easily for me. He gave me comfort ability that I could just be me- good, bad, pretty or ugly. I came to a place in live that I was going to be me and he loved me for it. I no longer had the poker face and opened myself up becoming the most vulnerable to someone I didn’t know. A part of me probably fell in love with him because I could see he was ‘taken’ by who I was… who I really was. This shared intimacy led us to being in love. God, I love that man. And how could I not? Look what he has given me...