Jayleigh and Rob

My honey and me, having fun before his folks arrived!

My honey and me, in Chicago this summer. I am actually taller than Rob by a little, but I was standing on sloping concrete!

Anniversary

Love, like friendship
Must be about something
Besides itself.

I love you, not for the sake of loving,
Nor for the sake of being loved,
But for the sake of the truths we share,
The joy of walking on the same secret road.

I love you, not out of my need for love,
But because of our common vision,
Our travels on the same quest.
We are collaborators, companions, allies,
Face to face and side by side.

I love you, not because love has survival value,

But because you are helping give value to survival.

I love you because you stand for yourself,
And I for myself,
And we are like sovereign princes of independent states,
On neutral ground,
Free of contexts and naked of surroundings.

No shadow of necessity, no burdensome duty
Oversees our love, nor constraint without reason.
We are free and equal as if we had met an hour ago,
While the affection and tenderness of years
Enfolds us.

I love you because in making this journey with you
I have seen you a thousand times
In fear, in anger, in sickness and in tears,
And still you ring true.

I love you, and you love me,
Because we bring out of each others depths
All that is best and wisest, and funniest,
And most exquisite.

Among all the spirits that roam our planet
We have found each other,
And we are lucky beyond measure and description
To be in such company.

–Susan De Vore