Dear Husband,
Happy 16th Anniversary! It feels like just yesterday we fell in love. I remember we did not do premarital counseling because you felt that we did not need it, because our love was so perfect we would be fine 😎😡. Well 16 years later you might admit maybe we should have gone to a session or two😂.
Today, as I reflect on our 16 years of marriage (17 1/2 years together) I can say with absolute certainty that God got it right. I want to thank God for His grace, favor and mercy over our lives. We are not perfect human beings but we are perfect for each other. I believe that our love for God, who is first in this marriage, and our unconditional love for each other has kept this love alive and equipped us with adequate forgiveness and patience necessary for a marriage to survive. There would be no me without you and “vice versa”. You are my husband, lover, best friend, provider and the best “baby daddy” I could have hoped for. Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do to provide and protect this family. Thank you for showing our sons what a real man is like.
When we got married you were 22 and I was 28 years. I advised you that we should wait because marriage is not for everyone and I was not very eager to be married to a 22 year old athlete. #Insane. You could have married any woman you wanted at that time, after all you were an international cricketer traveling the world meeting all types of beautiful women; but you chose to marry me 😍. When we got married you told me what we signed was a “no way out contract.” I said to myself, “This brother here serious.”
Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Fast forward, I was diagnosed with breast cancer had a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction; you stayed. Shortly there after, our last son was diagnosed with autism. I thought for sure this might be the greatest challenge of our marriage. It turned out to be the challenge that made us stronger. Babes, when I married you at 22 years, you were a man in the making. I was so scared to fall in love with you but you made me. No matter what went wrong in our lives, the fact that you stayed loving me, made it all perfect and worth it.
It’s a “Convenant” not a Business
So 16 years later, I just want to say that I love and I am so proud of the man you have become. You have respected and protected this “Covenant” called marriage (I have discovered it is not a business). And yes it requires work but when we put God first, our husband or wife second and our children third; the work is easy. When two souls are in sync, the journey is beautiful . Over the years I have discovered that you are not the best communicator and that drives me 😝 crazy. But the good outweighs the bad. Any then I discovered you were not the best speller on the planet either and God whispered in my ear , “are you an idiot, he can count 💰💰💰😂😂😂.”
Your perfect husband may not come in the package you expect!
On a serious note, I published this letter on my blog today to share with the ladies that all men are not bad. We still have great brothers out there. Your “perfect” husband may not come in the package you expect. He maybe older or younger. He may not be a lawyer, doctor or scientist. He might be an athlete, singer, writer, electrician etc. Those things don’t matter. What matters is honesty, vulnerability, unconditional love and loyalty. My husband and I have built an amazing life together based on hard work and a common values and dreams. In the days when the going got tough we remained loyal to each other and kept going. We are not perfect; we are just perfect together. When one wins, we both win. And yes, we changed over the years but we changed and grew together. We always made sure we were both on the same page. No matter what is going down, this marriage is first and no one gets left behind.
Happy Anniversary!
I don’t believe in marriages that claim to have separate wins. They have separate careers, separate friends, separate money and assets. Sounds like they are preparing to separate. A marriage needs to be difficult to get out of, because it is a Covenant. It should be ” a match made in heaven”. So today I would just like to wish my fabulous husband, “Happy Anniversary”. I love you honey. May God continue to grant us favor and cheers to loving you for the next 50 odd years; because after that I am gone 😂😂😘😘🎼 “You still the one I love for life🎼
https://basiapowell.com/2017/12/17/letter-to-my-18-year-old-self❤️
Follow me on Instagram/basiapowell
#MrsPowell aka #Slayer
Very inspiring story. Makes me appreciate my husband more for the amazing father he is to our premature son and husband to me during a time of experiencing post part in depression after our son’s stay in the nicu. Having a child makes you experience love in a completely different way and it also made me love him more for all the sacrifices he has made and stuck by my side through all the ups and downs. Didn’t mean to make this post about my husband but your inspiring birthday dedication to your husband made me think about the loyalty, dedication, humbleness, love and honesty of mine. Thank you for sharing.
I am glad that my anniversary letter to my hubby had that impact on you. Remember to tell your husband how much you appreciate him for his sacrifices. Husbands love being appreciated and adored by their wives. Too often we hear about how bad men are but women with good husbands must speak up. Thanks for sharing
Awesome stuff Basia!😘