38 Things I Love About My Husband

…on his 38th birthday.

I love…

1. how you look—your strong hands and kind eyes, your muscled calves and tan skin

2. how you feel both soft and sturdy when I press my face against your chest, my head tucked under your chin, a perfect fit

3. how you show up even when you’re tired, nervous, and just-can’t-even

4. how you give generously

5. how you love a promotional, limited-time-only deal that hurts our wallet, but has introduced me to so many new things

6. how you plan our trips 

7. how you listen without trying to fix

8. how you are attentive to the needs and feelings of others

9. how you are always learning

10. how you pursue others despite insecurities 

11. how you can sit with nuance

12. how ticklish you are

13. how you give dada “nuggles” to the kids

14. how you find the best memes

15. how you’re steady

16. how you love Top Chef 

17. how you can read my mood with just one look

18. how you lay down your needs to serve others

19. how you plan date nights and research gymnastics competitions to attend

20. how you love live music–from crying at Sam Smith while we were dating, to holding my hand at a church orchestra performance as they sing America the Beautiful and Seasons of Love

21. how you’re always up for a concert or a spontaneous date night

22. how you dream about starting over in a new city

23. how you encourage me to pursue my own dreams

24. how you always text back right away

25. how I can count on you to pay the bills, get the groceries, take out the trash

26. how we share a love of Vuori and Richard Blais

27. how intentional you are with what we teach the kids about God

28. how you listen to me talk about my friend’s dating mishaps, what happened in mom’s group, what OCD thoughts are looping in my head

29. how you are the king of treats and lumpia

30. how you are patient with the kids and their whining and mess and delay tactics and oh the noise noise noise noise

31. how you will always finish the last bite

32. how you order too much food at a party because you don’t want anyone to go hungry

33. how you host and invite anyway even though it goes against all of your introverted tendencies

34. how you give grace to me when I’m hypocritical, judgmental, and irrational

35. how you’re getting better at showing up for yourself

36. how you don’t call me out when I let the kids do the very thing I chastised you for letting them do one day (hour?) earlier

37. how you don’t pressure me to share my feelings or figure out what I mean

38. how you are still the same humble and handsome and tender-hearted man I fell in love with eight birthdays ago

Inspired by Ashlee Gadd’s “36 Things I love On My 36th Birthday.”