A Letter To My Husband…Thank You For Giving Me Space
Dear Husband,
Do you remember the two 20-year-olds who fell in love and got married on a beautiful September day? Yeah, that was us! You’ve heard the song “Young, Dumb, and Broke”, we were all of those things but you know what, we were as happy as two inexperienced kids could be…
We got married…
bought a house…
bought a dog…
and had a baby…
all the things you’re “supposed” to do. What we didn’t know is how much those experiences would change us…
I know I’m not the same 20-year-old free spirit that you married all those years ago. You know it, I know it, and heck, even my body knows it. But looking back what stands out to me the most is that you gave me space. I’m not talking about the type of space you give someone when they’re mad and need to cool off. No, I’m talking about the space I needed to grow, to learn, and to adjust to my new normal.
You never shamed me for not being the same person I was when you fell in love with me.
You watched as I shifted from an independent single girl to an overwhelmed and exhausted mother. There were some long days, some hard days, and even in the midst of our darkest days, you gave me space.
You never asked me to be the person I was before.
You made room in our relationship for pregnancy hormones, health issues, and so many unexpected hardships. Often times, it was your grace that saved us in the most difficult moments of our lives together.
You’ve accepted each phase of our marriage even when it didn’t turn out the way you might have imagined it would. The beautiful space you gave me was essential in helping me heal from things I was never prepared for, like the loss of a baby.
There were days when anxiety, exhaustion, and self-doubt had no doubt caused me to seem like a stranger to you, someone you didn’t even recognize anymore. Your greatest act of kindness was that you embraced me anyway. You gave me space to navigate my way through all of these emotions and you were always nearby if I needed your help.
You see, when planting flowers you have to be careful to make sure that you space out the seedlings far enough apart. The soil cannot be too compacted. Sunlight has to be able to reach new growth.
Thank you for saying “I do” but meaning “I will”. Thank you for giving me space to BLOOM!
You never asked me to be the person I was before.
