Thirty Days of Thanksgiving- Day Six

On this day I speak my gratitude of my best friend and partner. My husband Dave, the father of all of my children, and the person who stands beside me and behind me and covers my back. I am so grateful for this man... this partner. We "met" on a blind date... and have been together since. What we didn't know when we agreed to that date was that we had known each other as children. Dave and I as we look back on our life have had flybys and near misses our entire life. It makes a person wonder about fate or destiny. We met as children several times as he lived across the street from my best friend. We met as young adults as he is the cousin of my best friend's step brother and Dave lived with his cousin at a point. We met over and over and were just on the fringe of each other's worlds. When a mutual friend Ingrid suggested a blind date I figured what the Hell.... it couldn't hurt. When he called he asked me what I thought of the idea and I said " Well best case scenario I have a new friend and that is Awesome. Worst case scenario I don't like you at all and give you a fake number." He thought that was clever and still talks about it( though I was actually just being honest.) I suggested meeting in a place where I knew that I would have friends and introduced him immediately to my friends just in case he was a creep. We hit it off though... and that night before I left he asked me if he could kiss me.... that made an impression. I said yes and the rest is history.
Our relationship isn't perfect. We are working on it every day. Dave isn't perfect either..... though his willingness to work on our relationship makes him perfect for me. He loves me... this man. When we lost Aislynn he gave me his winter coat in January.... I couldn't leave the house without it. Even though he had a 1/2 mile walk from parking to his work he did it WITHOUT his winter coat because he left that coat with me. After Aidan I couldn't leave the house alone.... that man made sure I didn't have to. He or my mother was with me every time. When I was pregnant with Ashlynn and Taryn I was on modified bedrest. It was tough.... but we got through it. We have gotten through a lot.... together.
Dave has an ability to make me laugh in nearly every circumstance. He takes my serious and lightens it up. He makes every thing fun.... When we first lived together we would race up the stairs to our apartment.... he cheated every time. Because I was faster. When the kids have me at the end of my tether he makes it all a game.... and the job gets done. If he can't have some fun... it isn't worth doing. He NEVER worries. That drives me NUTS... because I worry a LOT. In the 12.5 years we have been a couple though...he has rubbed off on me and helped me to see how useless my worrying can be. He has helped to loosen me up some. I have helped to ground him a bit.
Life is never perfect.... but one thing that can help a great deal is being rich in love. With this man and the family we have made together I am never poor. Never! I am surrounded by love.... and the blessings that come with love. I am so grateful that he has similar priorities and that he works with me as a partner. I love him.... and I could never doubt that he loves me. He would lay his life down for me and his children. He still makes my heart go faster.... and he has been my safe place through many struggles. He supports me as I start this new venture of selling my wares... he loves me... he supports me.... he struggles next to me. Nothing in this world is perfect..... but this thing that we have is worth working on.... and he agrees with me. And I am so grateful for that. <3