love Archives - Healthy and Free Living

15 years ago I said, “I do!” to the love of my life. It’s been a roller coaster of good and bad, joy and tears, but I wouldn’t change a thing. My life and who I am as a person is so much better because of my husband. Here’s just a few things that make my husband so amazing…

Not only is my husband incredibly hot (I mean, he just gets better with age!), but he’s incredibly kind and caring. He is the first in line to help a friend move or solve a computer issue. He coaches our kids admirably and shows an amazing amount of patience with all the players. He is the Dungeon Master to six junior high boys 1-2 times/month at our house…I mean, he should be given sainthood for that alone! 😉

He has taught me how to love and care for others, to be less judgmental, and to truly grasp the Gospel. My faith and love for Jesus and others has grown because of him. He encourages me to interact with others and develop friendships. Most importantly, he loves me even when I’m controlling (enneagram 8 over here!) and overbearing. He loves me when I’m emotional and critical. He loves me for me.

The crazy thing is, he has no idea how amazing he is and how worthy he is of love. Even in his worst moments (and we all have them), I see the incredible man that God created and all the great things God has in store for his life. My deepest desire for him is that he will truly know how loved he is by me, our children, and God.

15 years is a great time to celebrate, however, every day with him is one to celebrate. He is the love of my life and I’m forever grateful to God for husband and best friend.

My mom is incredible. She is generous of her time, loves to serve, and puts others first. She has been present throughout my life — always there when I need her. Here are a few stories reflect the personal sacrifices she made to show me she loved me.

✨My senior year of high school, my mom got up every morning to make me lunch and say good-bye. I told her she could sleep and I could take care of it, but she wanted to do it for me. She wanted to always see me off to school. As a mom, I now know exactly how she feels and I know I’ll be the same way.

✨I went to college close to home and my mom made a big deal about creating my own distance. She knew the value of getting the full college experience and didn’t want me to blend college and home together. In fact, I hardly heard from her the first few weeks and had to remind her that a lot of my friends talked to their parents almost every day on the phone…she didn’t need to keep that much distance! 😉 I’m sure it was hard for her to stay away (my dad used to drive by my dorm room every day on his way to work!), but knew it was important for my growth into adulthood.

✨For Grad School, I headed to North Carolina. My mom was so excited and encouraged me to go. At the time, I didn’t think she would miss me…but then I realized that she was pushing me away, because otherwise I wouldn’t go. She couldn’t show me that she would miss me, etc. because she wanted to make it easier for me to leave. She hid her feelings of sadness, so I would continue to thrive. I can still remember when she dropped me off at the airport once when I came to visit and she couldn’t hold back the tears that time. It was the first time I saw her cry and knew that she usually was able to wait until I was out of sight before she let the tears flow. She didn’t want me to see them.

Time and again, my mom has been there — from watching my children, to helping me decorate my house, to letting me use her car when mine was in the shop. She has been the best role model as a woman of God, a wife, a friend, and a mother. Not only do I take after her physically, but she has taught me how to serve others and my family with love and faith.

Over the past few years, my mom’s memory has started to go and she has become more reserved. But to me, she will always be the life of the party with a laugh that you can hear clear across the room, the person working behind the scenes to make sure everything goes well, an amazing Bible study teacher, and the best mom and Grammy ever. I pray that the one thing she never forgets is how loved she is. I love you, mom!