Today is my husband’s birthday. I can’t think of a better way to honor him than writing him a love letter.

Positano, Italy 2011. ©MikeHoward

Dear Mike:

God brought you into my life 22 years ago. He gave us two beautiful children. He has blessed us with many more ups than downs and has carried us through bleak times. While our life is not always picture perfect, it is about as close as you can get to heaven. We love, we laugh, we argue, we travel, we teach and we learn. We used to have more free time and money before we had children, but we both know how empty we would feel without them. Marrying you was never a mistake. Bringing our children in to the world was not one either.

1. Thank you for making me a part of your life.

2. Thank you for loving my parents and our children.

3. Thank you for always being generous, even when I returned the diamond tennis bracelet.

4. Thank you for attending church with me and the children consistently before you converted. You always led by example.

5. Thank you for leaving love notes in my luggage when I go away on a business trip.

6. Thank you for always believing in me and having my back.

7. Thank you for cooking on Monday nights when you know the first day back at work and school is hard on all of us.

8. Thank you for never giving up on yourself even when times were scary and tough.

9. Loving you is easy. Living the daily grind is often not. Our grit and faith in God helps us get through everything.

10. You were the best thing that happened to me. I can’t imagine my life without you or our children.

Love, Kim