My husband is one of the most reliable people I know. He is systematic, logical, and extremely organized. He loves finishing tasks and making lists. He is a homebody and loves consistency. He has the biggest heart for service + people + pets. He likes to tackle things one issue at a time and is patient with processing information. John excels at making complex, technical plans.
I on the other hand, am basically a loose cannon when it comes to all of his strengths. I like for things to appear organized and clean but rest assured when you open my closet it will look like a bomb went off. I multi task to a fault. The more information I can process, connect, and apply, the better. I love verbally processing things out loud, instantly. I have a knack for losing my phone, and making lists somewhat stresses me out. And the only thing I love to plan is a trip.
Today marks ten years of celebrating birthdays together. Over the past decade we have had many run ins with the different ways we do life and manage things. You would think by now we would have this down to a science, but it has really only been in the last year that we found our “groove” so to speak.
The trick has been to not focus on each other’s deficits but instead take a Strength Finder’s approach to marriage: i.e. to take ownership of our own respective strengths and stop projecting them on to one another. In short, do your thing, stay in your lane, and let your partner do the same.
It has been a game changer.
So, to John, the man who holds my disorganized, hot-mess of a heart:
I am so glad it is you.
I am so glad the oppositeness and the dichotomies are there, because I need your strengths. And I need your weaknesses.
My deficits are too great to do life without you.
Your stability over the years has been the most beautiful melody; a melody with a steady beat that has created a platform for incredible growth.
You fill my gaps.
Those places of “lack” are where your strengths overflow.
I am forever grateful for who you are and I am eternally thankful God created you just as he did.
Thank you for loving me in the mess. Thank you for not walking away when you had every right to.
You are the one my heart longs for.
Here’s to another year of growing old together and continuing to compare our gray hair count.