A found treasure, words handwritten by my mother. A “Congratulations on your Engagement” card. A celebratory event back when she was still alive to be proud and excited. Seeing her handwriting brings me to tears, what she wrote hits me straight in the soul. It’s perfect and simple, just like she was.
She wrote, “I’m so happy you found someone wonderful to share your life with. Someone who has as big of a heart as yours. I can see and feel the love between you and true love has never looked so good on you.”
“A heart as big as yours.”
“True love has never looked so good on you.”
Words that bring tears and joy and elation.
Her words.
Her beautiful words.
Words that describe the unique love I found.
Words that describe the gifts that my marriage and husband are.
Words that describe the way she saw us and experienced our real-life love story.
She knew when she left that I’d be in good hands. She knew the everlasting impacts of the man that stood before me. She knew I’d have a heart protected by one just as delicate, and pure, and profound. She knew the life ahead of me would be vacant of her, but still filled with love, great love. One that would carry me through the dark days and dance with me on the celebratory ones.
As I sit here, on the eve of my wedding anniversary, I am reminded of my mother’s words. Some of the last words to ever grace a card written to me, from her. Her words are simple and powerful, just like my marriage.
She wrote, “a heart as big as yours”, because I’ve always loved deeply and felt things with more intensity than most. I’ve got a dramatic spirit and a dramatic soul. She knew they both needed loved and protected. The way she did, and my husband does. She knew.
She wrote, “true love has never looked so good on you”, because I never knew true love until the moment I met him. The man that would come in and transform my entire life in the most beautiful of ways. A man who saw me at my most vulnerable and authentic self and loved me more for it. A man who makes me smile, from my heart. She saw the light in my eyes and the love in my heart and she knew.
Now her message holds even more importance than before. She’s no longer here to witness our love story. No longer here to congratulate us on an added year of marriage and another anniversary worth celebrating.
She finished her card with, “Remember to love one another each and every day. It’s as simple and as difficult as that.” And it’s perfect and simple and full of truth.
Love one another each and every day.
And we do.
And it’s imperfectly perfect and ours.
We love each other fiercely.
I wish she could see how we’ve transformed and how with each new and fresh chapter it gets better and better. I wish she could see the beautiful miracles that have come from our love. I wish I had new cards and words of wisdom. Instead, I cling to the ones that remain. I hold them dear to my heart. I listen intently and I pray we’re making her proud. Deep down I know we are.
Another year of memories. Another year of love. Another addition to our love story. One I hope is visible from heaven.
Love is worth celebrating. I hope you find yourselves celebrating the many loves in your life. As my mama said, “Remember to love one another each and every day. It’s as simple and as difficult as that.”
