Happy Birthday, V!

Tomorrow Vitaliy will walk into the next decade of his life. Below is the letter I wrote to my 29 year old husband.

Dear Vitaliy,

What a decade it has been! The past 10 years have been marked by love and loss, joy and sorrow. But that’s life, right? It was within these years that we met each other, fell madly in love, and eventually married. But it was also within these years that we lost your mom, dad, and little brother Daniel. The pain and sorrow that followed was unspeakable, but throughout it all, there were still many moments of joy. Unspeakable joy.

This is our story, our journey, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. And though it was your family we lost, I know you wouldn’t change a thing either. The fact that we can both say that today is a testimony of God’s grace in our lives.

Tomorrow starts a new decade of your life. As you move forward and walk into this new chapter, I hope you consistently look back. I am confident these next 10 years will not be without their own difficulties and struggles. But I know that whatever hard times come our way, as we look back, we’ll be reminded to look for the unspeakable moments of joy that will come also.

Vitaliy, there is nobody I admire more than you. You are one of my main sources of unspeakable joy. My life has never looked the same since you entered it. We are not promised another decade, but I am thankful that I have you today. Tomorrow morning when we wake up, I will be thanking God for giving you another year of life. Another year for me to enjoy you. Let’s celebrate!

Goodbye 29, hello 3 – 0! Happy, Happy Birthday to the love of my life. My handsome Ukrainian! Let’s continue our adventure.

xoxo
CP, your cutie pie