FOR MY LOVE...

"True love is a durable fire, in the mind ever burning, never sick, never old, never dead, from itself never turning." ~ Sir Walter Raleigh

For over one third of my life on this earth, I have loved Lindsay Lee Atkins... A powerful statement? Sure. But it's not enough. Words are great sometimes, they're the great translators of all that we think. In this case though, that sentence doesn't come close to translating the depth behind such simple words. To say that you love something, can carry a variety of meanings. I love my dog... I love my tuna sandwich... I love my house... The definition of what that emotion entails is a true sliding scale in terms of that to which we apply it. When I say I love my wife, it's not at all the same as when I say I love that the QEW now has HOV lanes (which I most certainly do love). No. The depth is all out of sorts. When I say that I have loved my Lindsay Lee for ten years, well... I have ached to be in her presence when she's absent from it, I have felt joy with her that transcends what science is capable of quantifying, my soul feels completely bare before her eyes, intimacy at it's deepest core, my heart literally skipping beats as I recall the wonderful things we have experienced together and envisioning that which lies ahead of us, feeling totally complete, and completely at peace in her arms... I love my Lindsay Lee.

The most amazing thing that occurs to me when I dwell upon this love I've had for Lindsay over this time, would have to be how it has ever-changed, growing and changing shape each day. It's subtle mostly, like a baby's growth from birth and onward. One day you look back at it, and you're completely stunned at how much bigger, how much greater it has become. I feel constantly reminded these days that as much as I love Lindsay today, I will love her even more tomorrow. Moments in life can cause that love to leap forward in a tangible way - that first kiss, proposing, getting married, having a child together - but everyday it grows when nurtured and remembered. I will love her more tomorrow. Wow. Incredible.

Last Friday, we marked our fifth anniversary of being husband and wife. Being the sap that I am, I've obviously taken the occasion to dwell on these thoughts. I think it's good to do so. It's good to remember our love. Remember what it means. Remember to tell our wives and husbands just exactly what it means. To tell them that when we say we love them, it means something so much more than a single word can ever express. I love a good tuna sandwich, sure. That said, I would trade in all the riches, and the wisdoms, and the pleasures of our world, all that I hold of value in my life, simply to be able to hold the hand of the girl I love. The same certainly can not be said for the sandwich. So to memorialize this occasion, and to put into words for my Lindsay Lee to see for eternity, I love you with all that I have said, and ohhhh so much more than I will ever have the vocabulary to say. This post is for you. This post is for my love.