Today is my husbands birthday. I was going to try to write a long, mushy article about how amazing he is, but that’s not really my style. I’ll try to do it my way though. He knows how amazing he is. I tell him all the time. I also tell him when he’s being an ass. See, he’s got the best of both worlds.

I would love to tell you that our marriage is perfect and that we are perfect and that life is perfect. Fact of the matter is, marriage is work. Not all the time, but there are definitely times that aren’t easy. Derek and I have had many of those times, but the important thing is that we always find our way back to one another.

While lots of people don’t know how to get a read on him, I sure do. He’s actually very laid back and is always calming me down from anxiety attacks. I guess that’s the best way I could describe him. He’s very calming. I’m constantly up, up, up and will get carried away if the wind blows wrong and he’s always right there to pull me back down to earth. Even when shit gets incredibly bad, there’s a part of me that trusts we will get through it because he’s by me, telling me it will be ok even when there’s a chance it won’t be.

I’ve watched him be there for our son, reading books and watching Cash sing and dance. Cheering him on the whole time even though Derek could never do either of those things without dying inside. I’ve watched him go through the death of his mom, breaking because he couldn’t do anything for her but be there. Seeing his eyes filled with sadness when Cash does something that he knows his mom would have loved. I’ve walked into our living room after a night of him drinking too much and having the feast for my eyes of him in underwear and his baseball jersey because that’s all he could accomplish after the game. He’s a jack of all trades.

He has a work ethic that amazes me. He could honestly run a small country if he was given the chance. It wouldn’t get done with a smile, but oh Lordy it would get done. He’s someone that, while yes, maybe I could live without him, I sure as hell never want to. I dug up a bunch of photos (new and old) of some times with him that make me smile. Happy Birthday Derek. Good luck ever getting rid of me.

xoSG