Happy anniversary to my Sweetheart

My dearest sweetheart,

As I sit here and reflect on the past 36th years, I can't thank you enough for loving me the way you did. You were my #1 fan and my biggest supporter no matter what I wanted to do. You took me places I had never been and showed me a love I had never known. You showered me daily with your love and spoiled me in so many ways. 

I don't know why God took you home so soon. I wasn't done loving you. I saw a t-shirt once that said "I'm still a wife. My husband just lives in heaven." That's exactly how I feel. You will forever be my one and only, my soul mate, my true love. Someone asked me one day why I wore my wedding ring since I'm single. My answer was simple. I'm not single. I will be with my husband again one day. He loved me with every beat of his heart. I will not become "single" because when there is no breath left in this old body of mine, I will be reunited with the love of my life." That is why I still  wear my ring.

I miss you so much. I miss being spoiled. I miss the way you loved to cook but didn't like me in the kitchen because I had a tendency to get in your way. I love how you would fix me a Pepsi and a little bowl of malted milk balls for a snack when I got home from work. Then you would send me to the tub to have a hot soak in a deep bubble bath while you cooked dinner for us. I love how you shared every household chore. If you got home before me, you put the laundry on. If you got off work before I did, you would do the grocery shopping. You were so good to me. You even made sure the toilet seat was always put down. Men just don't normally do things like that. 

But most of all you told me you loved me. You showed me and you told me every single day of our life together. You made me feel so special. I loved how you always called me Sweetheart. I rarely heard you use my name. You called me Sweetheart so much that I actually asked you one time if you even knew my name. We had a good laugh about it. 

There are so many memories that I think about today and I know as I remember the laughter and the fun times that you are remembering them with me. There were several of our favorite stories that we loved to "remember when...." with. Like the first time in the log home when both kids were out at the same time so we fixed a giant plate of french fries and snuggled on the couch with the plate of fries and watched the 101 Dalmations movie and thought it was the most romantic night of our life because we shared fries and a movie. We talked about that all the time. Or the time we went to the beach and I checked the house and said we got all the luggage and we got to the beach and I had left the entire garment bag of all your shirts at home. And we were staying seven days. I was thrilled because I finally got to force you to get some new shirts. You had your good old favorites and that is all you ever wanted me to pack. But you had on your favorite because you had driven down in it. You made me promise to bury you in that favorite shirt and I did as you asked. You wore it so much that you would say "I think I'll wear my shirt." and I would know what one you meant. 

I could go on and on about our memories but you know them as good as I do. I just wanted to tell you I love you and miss you with every beat of my heart. But I am doing good considering I don't have you here with me. I even learned to make gravy...which you thought would never happen. You always said "You could make it if you tried. And I would replied "Yes, but if I learn, you might make me cook." And we would have a good laugh. 

I love you, sweetheart and hope you are having a wonderful anniversary. 

Forever yours,

Your sweetheart