From the Heart

Dear Elizabeth, 

You have been my partner for the past 9 years, and today I stand before you grateful for so many things. You are a genuine, caring person, and there is so much good inside you. I am beyond excited that you have chosen me as your partner to walk through this life together. I feel more loved and cared for than I ever thought possible.

Being with you, I am reminded that home isn't a place, but the people you surround yourself with, the people you love, and that love you in return. You are my new home.

Being with you has also made me realize that a partner isn’t just someone who accepts you the way you are but lifts you up to become the best version of yourself. You help me grow, and because of this, I am a better friend, a better son, a better brother, and a better man. But mostly, I am a better partner.

Over time—through the years and decades to come—my lasting hope is that our affections will swell like the ocean tide, we will continue to drown in each other’s gaze, and love's bounty will reveal treasures found only in this everlasting dream—our dream.

_______________________

Dear Kurt,

There are three elements to this stretch of ocean:  the freshwater creek flowing down to the sea, the sea itself and the rock. For me, this place stands for so much about our family. I am the stubborn earth element, you are like the ocean and Naomi is as delightful as the stream—always fluid, always moving. 

The most dramatic geology occurs where rock meets water. The ocean waves carve the rock into sea stacks and cliff faces. The creek creates valleys and provides a network to connect the ocean to the mountains. And where they all meet the tide pools provide sanctuary to create and nurture life. Together, we are so much more than we are apart. We sharpen each other and annoy each other, but through it all we create beauty. Where we all meet, life happens.

You have helped me to delve deeper into my creative side, believing that I can be more. I never would have picked up a pencil to draw or had the courage to watercolor. You make me better and I love you with all my heart.