Dear Husband

Dear Husband,

It is nice to finally meet you.

For the last seven years, I have written letters to you without knowing who you were. First, let me apologize for surrendering to hopelessness during the wait. There were times when I felt all hope was lost, that I would remain single and grow old alone. Fairy tales often give us the illusion that love is easy to find and that everything is magical.

Reality taught me that patience is necessary. Waiting helps us grow into who we are meant to be. While waiting and writing to you, I grew as a person. My habits changed, my patience deepened, and I became more of the woman I wanted to be. Through that growth, I became the wife you needed me to be.

In my first letter, I made promises to you—promises of love, devotion, playfulness, and hard work within our marriage. Today, we exchanged vows, and I am honored to walk through life as your partner. We have faced our share of challenges leading up to this day, yet we overcame each one with gratitude. I am grateful for the growth that has taken place in both of us, allowing us to become better people together. Sometimes we must walk through the valley before we can receive the blessing waiting on the other side. My dear, you are that blessing.

As I wrote in previous letters, there were times when I thought I had found you, only to discover I was wrong. Instead, I encountered hardship, betrayal, lies, abuse, and some of the ugliest parts of humanity. Life is made up of choices and choosing you has been one of the best decisions I have ever made.

You are patient with me. Your hands are gentle, your voice is calm, and your presence makes me feel safe.

Before you, I had to heal from sexual abuse, financial abuse, verbal abuse, and physical abuse. I learned that hands could be used as weapons, that words could cut as deeply as knives, and that there were times when living felt harder than giving up. That was my old life.

As I healed, I knew the sun would shine again. I knew I would learn to love life again. What I did not know was that you would become part of that healing.

My fight-or-flight response had been on autopilot for more than a decade. I sat in the back seat, constantly waiting for something bad to happen. Then you came along. You stepped into that plane, turned off the autopilot, and guided it safely home—to a place where I could finally rest, safe in your loving arms.

I may never have enough words to express my gratitude for the kindness you have shown me. When I thank you, you often tell me that this is simply how love is supposed to be. Love should not be as difficult as many people make it. What has made us work is honesty, faithfulness, and communication—simple ingredients that cost nothing more than time and intention. I pray we never run out of any of them.

In my letters, I wrote about communication, keeping our marriage playful, filling our days with adventure, and even imagined that you might have children. Somehow, I described pieces of you without ever knowing you. I have made promises and vows about what I will bring to you and to our marriage, but now that I have found you, I want to make one more promise.

I promise to love your children from your previous marriage as my own and to be there for them however I can. I know they are grown, but they are an extension of you. To love you fully means loving every part of your life and everyone who helped shape the man you are today.

I am so thankful that this day has finally come—that I have finally found you. Together, we can fulfill the promises we made, watch our family grow, create beautiful memories, and grow old side by side.

Thank you for being my husband, my muse, and my best friend. I look forward to every chapter we have yet to write together.

Forever yours,

Your Loving Wife