42. Happy birthday #42. For the past twenty-four years we have shared birthdays together. Each with its own personality and feel. Each defined by pre-kids, post-kids, fighting, blissful, struggling with grief or despair, and then even joy and pain. This year’s birthday is no different in that it brings its own measure of grace and redemption.

Birthdays are important. They are markers in time, much like the markers of a New Year – the definition of a season. Hence why I think you should celebrate all week or month long! You have been my person for twenty years. You are my “better or worse, richer or poorer, sickness and health” partner. We have laughed a lot and definitely cried. We see the world together and raise our little kingdom warriors together.

You have been my protector and leader. We have grown together. We have learned how to be adults together, parents together and lovers together. We are the furthest thing from perfect – we fight and many times unfairly. We have chosen others and things over each other. We haven’t loved with patience and kindness – but guess what, that doesn’t define us. What defines us is how we recover and respond to the storms of life, and we have faced more than our fair share of storms. We are one unit – one team – one covenant relationship.

Every day I consider myself honored to celebrate the day with you and this birthday is another special blessing of more time together.

This weekend, we celebrate the day of your birth. You are loved. You are honored. You are cherished. You are part of me and I am part of you. You are valued. You are the joy of our home. You are the best at nearly all things (really all things) in the house and my favorite dance partner. I pray the next twenty years with you and your next 42 years of life are full of joy, peace, understanding, life and freedom. Our time together is so bright it will always cause blindness. We love you and are beyond blessed to follow wherever you lead.

Never forget that we are always in your corner. Happy birthday, my man.