Everything...

Hi everyone, Jeff here. Those of you who know me know that I am not one to express mushy feelings very often, or very publicly. Nevertheless, I feel the need to publicly tell Josie how much she means to me.

This is a strange way to start, but bear with me. Josie recently set up a facebook account for me. I suspect that I am the last person in the free world to get facebook. As I was going through and adding friends, I ran across an old high school girlfriend. Of course, this piqued my morbid curiosity, and caused me to reflect upon how different my life would be had things worked out differently. Some of you may have had that experience. I secretly hoped the other girl lived in a trailer park married to a white-trash slob who worked the nightshift with his name on his shirt. Of course, my secret hopes were dashed; she seemed to be doing well, has beautiful children, and by all accounts seems to be perfectly happy. Even so, it made me realize just how incredibly lucky I am to have Josie. I married so far over my head that it is not even funny.

Josie is an amazing, beautiful person. I don't tell her that nearly enough. She is literally the anchor in our home. She is kind, caring, loving, and forgiving. She loves me despite all of my shortcomings and personality flaws. She loves our children unconditionally, and they love her even more. She is strong, athletic, and constantly motivated to be better. She is a spiritual person, and always seems to be in tune. She has an amazing knack for making our house feel like a home, and not just a place to live. She is neat, tidy, and organized. She takes her obligations seriously, and always follows through. In short, she amazes me.

When Josie and I first started dating, she exhibited a quality that I have always felt was her greatest attribute. I was going through a bit of a dark period in my life, not sure exactly where I was going, or who I wanted to become. Josie had the ability to see me not for who I was, but for who I could become. She stuck with me even when I didn't deserve it. Eventually, she promised to stick with me through eternity, even though I am sure she could have found somebody better. She has lived up to her word. Our life circumstances have improved dramatically from our dirt poor days on food stamps and Medicaid. Nevertheless, Josie stays constantly grounded, and remembers what is important in life.

She truly is an amazing person.

I know this is really cheesy, but there is a song written by Jason Wade that despite its cheesy lyrics, is actually pretty cool. With apologies to the author (I modified the lyrics slightly) I think it neatly sums up what I am trying to convey.

You are the light that's leading me to the place where I find peace.
You are the strength that keeps me walking.
You are the hope that keeps me trusting.
You are the light to my soul.
You are my purpose

How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
How could it be any better than this?

You calm the storms, and you give me rest.
You hold me in your hands, you won't let me fall.
You steal my heart, and you take my breath away.

You're all I want.
You're all I need.

You're everything.