Dearest Susie: Thanks for Gracing my Life with Beauty, Dignity, Immeasurable Love

Today, my wife Susie begins the march to her next birthday. Yesterday was the 46th Anniversary of her 19th birthday!

All forty-six of those anniversaries Susie has been my Bride. For me to say that I’m lucky to know her is an understatement. I have gazed into those bright green eyes as her husband since I was 20 years old. Today, as I bask in the radiance of her warm smile, I know my love for her is deeper now than ever before. A sense of gratitude comes over me for the confidence and peace of mind I feel only in her presence.

To my eyes, Susie is a beautiful woman. Yes, she’s tiny–she may reach five-foot-two in high heels. But she stands ‘tall’. How do I mean that? She is the grandmother every grandchild would wish for. She is the adoptive parent every orphan dreams of. She is the mom every child would hold dear. Susie is the best wife any man could ask for. Why? Susie is a ‘light-bearer’–bringing radiance into an otherwise shadowy world. Her loving spirit brings depth to a shallow plane of existence; her enthusiasm injects daring adventures into life; and she graces my life with beauty, dignity, and immeasurable love. She’s more than I ever hoped for in a wife.

On August 9, 1999, our twenty-fourth wedding anniversary, I prayed to my Heavenly Father that He would grant us another 24 or more years as husband and wife. I prayed that with His Leading, Susie and I would be able to build even more memories, to develop an even deeper love for each other, and to become the people He wishes us to be. Well, twenty-two years later, God has Blessed us abundantly.  Thank you, Lord. — FM