the man i'm proud to call my husband

i met the most wonderful man in the world when i was very young - i was in high school. to hear him tell it, he had a crush on me, even back then. i, however, had a boyfriend.

fast forward about twelve years, and here we are. thanks to the beauty of myspace, we reconnected because we are both registered as alums with our high school. three months later, we were married by a judge in a court room. 28 days after that, he deployed to iraq.

i knew on our first date that he was the one for me. i wanted to stare into his eyes all night long. i never wanted to leave his side. we had a long distance relationship before - and after - our marriage. he drove from fort hood to fort worth almost every weekend for three months.

he has a daughter that is two weeks older than my daughter, and our girls are the very best of friends. i couldn't believe my luck. this wonderful man and this beautiful little girl completed my family. he has formed a very special bond with my daughter. she has never before told another man, other than her own father, that she loves him. and she very rarely says it to her own father. but she speaks it very freely with him, and he feels like she is his own.

he gives me not only everything i want, but he gives me everything i have ever needed in a relationship - and he doesn't even know it. i don't even have to speak it. he just knows. i've never known a love like this, and i am so grateful for him.

so, on this father's day - so many fathers are overseas fighting in a war that no longer makes sense to me. only now, one of those fathers is also my husband. please - while you are holding your children and kissing them goodnight, and they are telling you happy father's day - say a prayer for those fathers that are unable to wrap their own arms around their own children. and say a prayer for those children who have lost their dads in this war.

i love you, blake.

come home soon.