I hope I say enough how incredibly blessed I am to be your wife and to now be the mother of your child. Your name Mathew means "gift of God," and you have absolutely been that to me. You really are the man I always hoped I'd meet and marry and have a family with, even when I was a little girl not fully knowing what I'd want in a man someday. But it was you I've always wanted.
From the first day, I could see your compassion, your tenderness, your caring nature, your strength, and your patience. Now, being pregnant, I see that to an even greater depth as you help me along in this growth; I feel so grateful to have you as my partner and I don't know what more I could ask for.
I know a few times lately I've been snippy or impatient or moody; I'm just going to blame the hormones here (easy way out, right). Yet you take me as I am, with so much love and acceptance that sometimes it shocks me. I want to apologize to you for not being able to control my hormonal emotions as well, but more so I just want to thank you for just letting me be who I am (seemingly without judgement and) without reproach. I've always felt like I could just say whatever I truly felt, do whatever I truly felt, and be who I am without fearing that you'd judge me or reject me or turn away.
This was my favorite reading from our wedding because it feels so true of my feelings for you:
I love you, not only for what you are,
but for what I am when I am with you.
I love you, not only for what you have made of yourself,
but for what you are making of me.
I love you, for the part of me that you bring out.
but for what I am when I am with you.
I love you, not only for what you have made of yourself,
but for what you are making of me.
I love you, for the part of me that you bring out.
There are obviously so many things I love about you and who you are and your little quirks and the things I find so adorable. On a more self-centered note, one of the things I love most about you is who you make me. I saw what I thought was a very lame romantic-comedy ("This Means War"), in which the leading lady was torn between her feelings for two guys; her friend advised "choose the man who makes you a better woman." I actually thought that was fabulous advice, ya know, to come from a rom-com. More than anyone before you, you do make me a better me. You make me feel so beautiful, loved, sexy, appreciated, funny, intelligent, valued and cherished, every day, through your kind words to me, through your caring actions, through the way you go out into the world so bravely to provide for us, and come home after a long day and help with dinner and make me laugh.
I
love you, for putting your hand into my heaped-up heart,
and passing over all the foolish, weak things that you can’t help dimly seeing there,
and for drawing out, into the light, all the beautiful belongings
that no one else had looked quite far enough to find.
and passing over all the foolish, weak things that you can’t help dimly seeing there,
and for drawing out, into the light, all the beautiful belongings
that no one else had looked quite far enough to find.
You make me act more in the ways of my best self.
You inspire me to be more of that person that I see idealistically in my
inner eye as being the best me possible. Yes, I still act out of
pettiness sometimes; I'm not perfect. But even as you accept me, I
appreciate how you remind me of my best intentions, of my best possible
actions, of what my heart really honestly advises. It irritates, humbles and impresses me when you give me such kind advice to listen to my heart and act in the most loving way in a situation. You are my better half :)
I love you, because you are helping me to make of the lumber of my life,
not a tavern, but a temple.
Out of the works of my every day, not a reproach, but a song.
not a tavern, but a temple.
Out of the works of my every day, not a reproach, but a song.
I often think of this line about helping me make, of the lumber of my life, a temple. It invokes such a beautiful concept of you helping me piece things together to create such a wonderful place, like our little home that you and I, and you and I together, have put so much sweat into making so cozy and home-y. I look around our home and our life together and feel so grateful, like I've been given everything I truly wanted, including getting to bring a child to share in this beautiful life we've created together.
I love you, because you have done more than any creed could have done to
make me good,
and more than any fate could have done to make me happy.
You have done it without a touch, without a word, without a sign.
You have done it by being yourself.
Perhaps that is what being a friend means, after all.
and more than any fate could have done to make me happy.
You have done it without a touch, without a word, without a sign.
You have done it by being yourself.
Perhaps that is what being a friend means, after all.
I'm so excited to see you and know you as the father to our child. I can't wait to see the look on your face when our baby arrives. I can't wait to watch how adorable you'll be feeding baby, and bathing baby... You are such a great caregiver to the pets, so patient with potty outings in the middle of the night, and so sweet with all the belly rubs and kisses you give out. I'm excited for you to teach our child how to play basketball, to appreciate WWE, to make the best pancakes, to make camping special, and mostly, to be an amazing person in the world. You are the best role model I could imagine for our child, and you'll show our son how to be a wonderful man in how he treats women and treats others, or you'll show our daughter the way a man should treat her and others and how she should treat others. I'm excited to show our child the love that you and I share and how supportive and nurturing it can be.
Thank you for making everyday special. Thank you for being so involved in our pregnancy. Thank you for all the ways you look out for me and care for me. Thank you for all the ways you cherish me. Thank you for creating with me this wonderful gift of our child.
All my love always (all ways),
Your wifey Gretchen
