Willow Heart
“You have made me a kinder, calmer and far more patient man. I do not think you even tried. You just loved me, and it worked.”
“Everything I love about him started somewhere, and most of it started here. The kindness, the patience, and the way he turns up whenever it matters.”
“You bought the dress and the shoes and the flight and you never mentioned any of it. I know what being asked actually costs somebody, and I asked you anyway.”
“My jokes have not improved in all this time and we are both clear on that. You still laugh at the bad ones in front of other people, which is loyalty.”
“I make your coffee every morning because it is the first way I get to say I love you. After all these years, it is still my favorite part of the day.”
“When you took your first breath, I told you I love you. And I'd use my last breath to tell you the same. I might not be with you, but know that I believe in you.”
“I hope your first houseplant survives longer than mine ever did. And I hope your new home grows just as green and full of life.”
“You rush home from long shifts just to make bedtime, even when you are exhausted. The kids always perk up the moment they hear your keys in the door.”
“You did not make a fuss this year. You just kept going, one day at a time. Your quiet strength carried more of us than you will ever know.”
“I am not changing a thing about your old room for a while yet. It will be right there whenever you want to come home for the weekend.”
“Every day you walk into a room full of kids who need you to be patient. And every day you find more patience than anyone has a right to expect.”
“You spend your days making sure everyone else is comfortable and cared for. Today it is your turn, and I have been planning it for weeks.”