“There will come a time you’ll see, with no more tears,”

when Love will not break your heart,

but dismiss your fears…”

“That’s why I hold, with all I have, that’s why I hold…”

Life doesn’t have to be perfect and planned.  Like love, it just has to be genuine.

And if you’re lucky, you find someone who is willing to do it with you for the long haul.  Who will love you unconditionally, help you change, and tolerate you when you do.  Who will remember the easy days better than the hard ones, rub your feet while you watch TV, help you figure out what to have for dinner, and have the strength to hold on long enough for the good part.

The part when the kids can stay home and watch a movie while you go out for a glass of wine, or find yourself in a museum surrounded by swirls of butterflies.

If you give up, you never get to know what it’s like to love someone on the other side of the hard parts.

In fourth grade, Valentine’s Day is about giving people compliments and saying something nice about each person in the class.  Jake and Eli worked on their valentines all day while Mommy made cookies and Daddy sorted art supplies and helped them pack for their ski trip.

Marriage is really not so different than writing valentines in fourth grade.  You compliment and say something nice, even when you don’t always want to.  And spend some extra time on the sprinkles.