"Luckiest" Girl in the World

I really hate the expression "he made me the luckiest girl in the world". This man, this birthday man of mine, this good man, he works hard at loving me. I work hard at loving him. We work hard at loving our family. Of course there are easy moments, there are beautiful moments, there are hilarious moments. There are also, buckets and buckets of work.

This good man, this birthday man is celebrating his birthday today by hanging out with his family. That is hard for him to do. Being still is hard. Not getting jobs out on the farm done is hard. Being around the founts of energy that are our children, on a rainy day is hard. Prioritizing what is best, not what is easiest is hard.

It's not luck. Our marriage, our 13 years together is not made up of luck. We challenge each other, we bring out the best --and the worst--in each other. We love each other madly, and sometimes, we love each other mad. This man, this good man, and I stay together because we choose to stay together.

I am so thankful for this man, this good man who chooses each day to carry on loving us in the best ways he can. This man has been by me through five pregnancies, and five births, and ten years of breastfeeding and diaper changing. He was there for me the times I had to be on bedrest. He stands by me when I'm sick, when I'm tired, when I doubt myself.

He comes along slowly, warily but surely, when I decide we're not going to spank anymore. He tries. He supports when I start new ventures, when I try new things, when I dare.

This man, this good man, is celebrating his birthday today by going to Menard's to buy things like brackets and bathtub plugs. He's celebrating by corralling small children at the steak house. He's celebrating by doing art with younglings. He's celebrating by heating up leftovers, selling a mattress, getting a candle in his ice cream, and brushing teeth.

He could choose to be out with buddies, drinking at a bar, or flying thousand dollar remote controlled helicopters, or playing golf. He could choose to be at work and not be home for dinner.He could choose to look at other women, or flirt with them, or more. He could choose to be emotionally unavailable to me and our children because facing your feelings is a hard thing. He could choose dishonesty. He could choose distance. He could choose solitude. He could choose an easy peacefulness that doesn't include five rambunctious children and a sometimes contentious wife.

But he doesn't. He chooses me. Every day. He chooses us.

I am the luckiest girl in the world, but then again, it's not luck. 

Happy birthday, my loving man.