Love is —

Transferring to your college
Always installing the car seats
Serving as your human alarm clock
Folding tiny pairs of underwear just so
Reading an essay he wants to share with you as you both lie in bed and not minding
when you fall asleep halfway through
Going to small group, pressing into friendship
Driving the old car

The middle-of-the-night parent, the patient parent, the fun parent

Hearing “my wife” across the room, a thrill still
Researching the candidates
Falling asleep with the light on
and
Grumbling about how you stay up too late to read

Making every hard decision less scary
Never ever giving you a reason to doubt
Always reaching for you, always beside you

An unending conversation with my best friend
Who we were and who we are
The most fun we’ve ever had
So simple, so grand.

In honor of our 12th anniversary, inspired by Jen.