In honor of my sixth wedding anniversary today, I am devoting this one blog to my beautiful and loving wife, who for reasons unknown to me has chosen to spend the rest of her life with me.
Last year, just before our anniversary “The Wife” was diagnosed with a chronic illness, and that struggle has dominated much of the last 12 months. Despite the struggle, I can honestly say that I have learned much more from my wife this year than I would have if the disease had never entered our lives. Here is what I’ve learned this year:
- God’s power truly is made perfect in weakness. Not only has my wife’s faith grown stronger, she has begun the process of starting a non-profit organization to help children in distress. God has given her the strength to do this despite the many hours she has spent ill and in bed over the course of the last year.
- I need my wife. I knew I loved her, but a part of me always suspected I could stand on my own if anything happened to her. I can’t. I could never go back to life without “The Wife.” The fear of losing her proved that conclusively.
- Humans are fragile. It doesn’t take much to injure or cripple us. Our lives are fleeting and out of our control, and we should enjoy the time we have because it truly is a blessing.
- My wife is beautiful. I already knew this, but going through the rough spot that was this year, I can honestly say my wife is more beautiful to me right now than at any other time in our lives.
- My wife is a better person than I am. Throughout this whole ordeal, one of my wife’s major concerns has been that her sickness has made it so she cannot be the wife she wants to be. Her primary concern has been tending to my needs. Sadly, my biggest fear has been losing her.