Eleven years ago I married a long haired hippie who worked at a health food store. He had been a vegetarian for six years and spent hours in meditation every day trying to "find himself". We promised to never spend a single night away from one another. How time and children and life change ideals. Today he is a clean cut, hard working, military intelligence officer who enjoys a medium rare burger and spends hours everyday changing diapers and teaching music theory to his four kids. We have spent more anniversaries apart than together, and as I type this his plane is sailing towards the bad guys.
He isn't perfect. He is demanding at times and whiny. He works too much, way too much. He is high strung and not at all spontaneous (this is difficult with four kids and an old lady living in your home). He is sometimes completely thoughtless about the attention I need or the time it takes to wash, feed, dress and corral a family of seven. However, I have never met a man more dedicated to his children. He is by far, the best daddy a child could ask for. He is patient. He is focused. He will expend days on projects that I wouldn't even consider doing with the kids. He cherishes every little drawing, every tiny effort. When I feel tired of him as a spouse, I remember that he is a wonderful father. That is all I really ever wanted. I wanted a man who would always choose his kids, no matter what the alternative. I want a man who puts his children before me, because I do the same.
They will never truly understand how much that man loves them. It is possible that they will even blame him for working so much or being gone so often. They will fail to remember the hours at the skate park or the moments correcting their timing on a music piece. I will remember it though.
Happy Anniversary to the most incredible man I know. I am a lucky girl.
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