The balance of my soul.
This one is personal, but I hope you’ll forgive me, because there is a reflection in here I promise :)
The picture that accompanies my words today was taken a couple of weeks ago, and has become probably my favorite picture of my wife.
We were out for the evening together, and I took this picture because I had one of those moments where it was hard to express how truly, madly, deeply and completely I felt love for her.
In over 20 years of marriage, our relationship has grown deeper every year. Every so often, I look back at how I thought I loved her in the past, and it seems like it was incomplete.
Every time my love for her increases, I find a new level of appreciation, a more resonant desire to be in her presence, and a stronger commitment to do all in my power to make her happy. I can’t explain the comfort I find in my soul when she is near me.
She is an amazing mother to our 2 wonderful children. They truly love her. It is an awe inspiring sight to see your 19 year old son walk up to his mother in the kitchen and demand a hug that lasts for a long time, just because he loves her.
My 17 year old texts her throughout the day, because he wants to feel connected to her. I gaze in wonder as I see them talking to her, sharing their thoughts and asking her advice.
They, and I, love her with a depth of feeling that I think she struggles to realize.
Because all she sees is her imperfections.
Truly, she is not perfect. She has her flaws, her weaknesses, her fears, her sense of inadequacy and her fear of disappointing people, but these are so small when compared to her strengths, her capabilities, and her kindness.
If I asked her to describe herself, she would struggle to use words that were positive.
She is the person who balances my soul, lifts me when I am down, helps me make sense of my struggles, and who has believed in me when I had lost all sense of belief in myself.
She has saved me from my doubts, and had the courage to take us both in a direction that filled me full of doubt, and her full of confidence. In doing so, she probably saved my life, and gave me the freedom to become the writer of these reflections.
If all you see in the mirror are your imperfections, please think about this woman. Her name is Holly.
She is the center of my universe and all she sees are her flaws, her troubles, her blemishes. I see so much more in her than she can understand.
If you cannot see your value, please allow someone else to see who you really are, and believe them when they tell you so.
Happy Mother's Day sweetheart. I love you.
-- Alan
@maddrbmusings