John Roquemore is idealistic. I know that has negative connotations but I don’t intend any. He’s a dreamer and a romantic. He thinks (and speaks) in story. Sometimes, he’ll be off in his mind, somewhere else entirely, imagining another world. (I realize that this might sound annoying but somehow, even after 10 years, I mostly just still find it endearing.) He’s hopeful. He is deeply encouraging. He loves me, unwaveringly. He is patient beyond comprehension. He is authentic, he is gracious. He is slow to be angry. He is strong enough to be vulnerable, whether it’s the courage to share a mistake or failure, or the strength to say “I forgive you.”
He dances through life – through the kitchen while cooking and doing dishes together, in the bathroom while brushing our teeth together, in so many more moments than I can name. He reminds me that fun is important – that silliness is worthwhile.
He adores our children. But also really laughs (and makes me laugh) at the intensity of parenting. He doesn’t care about stuff. Gifts are not his thing, moments are. He has this way that his entire being lights up, when he’s having a moment with the kids, when he makes me laugh, or when he has accomplished something important to him. I remember before I ever started homeschooling, him saying that the most important thing about our kids’ education would be that they would become people who love learning and who never stop. He models that in ways that have astonished me.
In ten years of marriage, I find it a joy and an honor to continue loving and being loved by this man, to navigate the challenges of life together, to choose to honor vows we made before we were who we are today. Of all the good things in my world, our love is my greatest treasure, and my gratitude for you, John, wholly overwhelms my heart.
Happy tenth anniversary.
