Dear You,
Yes, you.
Thank you, Faithful Friend. Thank you for the grace you give—the grace that reminds us we’re okay, good enough, even lovely. Thank you for being a space where we know we don’t have to do anything or impress anyone to be worthy of love and belonging. For being the embrace that doesn’t go away. For being the family we choose.
This world is a better place because of you.
Thank you, Exhausted Parent. Thank you for being bone tired because you care enough to pay attention. Thank you for remembering—no matter what the kids try to tell you—eye contact matters more to them than any iPad ever will. Thank you for looking them in the eyes, when all you want to do is close yours. Thank you for loving them enough to give them all of you, and then loving them enough to let them go.
This world is a better place because of you.
Thank you, Rebellious Spouses. Thank you for rebelling against the consumer disease. For refusing to treat your marriage as one more commodity in a world of purchased things. For refusing to make it a transactional place where you get what you you’ve always wanted and, instead, insisting it is a sacred place where two people learn to give what has always been needed.
This world is a better place because of you.
Thank you, to the Young Couple who reached out to me in shock when you found your wedding photo associated with my viral marriage post. Thank you for your willingness to give me a second glance and a second chance. Thank you for the hour you spent talking with me and for sharing this wisdom about marriage:
There is a place where infatuation ends and love begins, and that place is marriage. Marriage isn’t something you feel or a destination you arrive at; it’s something you build. It takes work, and usually it is the hard but holy work of forgiveness. Marriage is the place you finally grow up because, for it to work, you must finally and fully leave the family you were given and unite with the family you’ve chosen. This is a sacrifice, and that is good, because marriage is where we learn the art of sacrifice. Marriage is not just two people with compatible goals; marriage is also one team with a common goal. Thank you again, Young Couple.
This world is a better place because of you.
Thank you, Lonely Ones. To the ones who haven’t yet found a home inside of yourselves or your friendships or parenthood or marriage. Thank you for not giving up. For steadfastly keeping your ears open and listening for the echoes of love within you and around you. For insisting that belonging is possible and unloneliness can happen. For reminding us that faith is simply the courage to put one foot in front of the other while trusting that beauty and belonging exist. Thank you for the hope you will give us when you discover it.
This world is a better place because of you.
Thank you, All of You, for being people who are doing your best to figure out what it means to be a person. Thanks for being human with me. Thank you for having the courage to look into your own heart, face the pain there, and learn from it. Thank you for trying to love yourself, thank you for trying to love others, thank you for making a mess of it, and thank you for trying again anyway. Thank you, because figuring out how to love may be the only thing this life is really about.
This world is a better place because of you.
And, finally, thank you, Facebook. People seem to either love you or hate you. I, for one, am grateful for the way you have connected me with a wide and wonderful world of wise and wonderful people. Thank you for bringing us together when we are far apart, and thank you for letting us ignore you so, when we are together, we can truly be together.
This world is a better place because of you.
With gratitude,
Me
—————
Audio: Click here to hear an audio version of this post.
Next Post: 10 Reasons We Should Wish Each Other Crappy (Not Happy) Holidays
Free eBook: My eBook, The Marriage Manifesto: Turning Your World Upside Down, is available free to new blog subscribers. If you are not yet a subscriber, you can click here to subscribe, and your confirmation e-mail will include a link to download the eBook. Or, the book is also now available for Kindle and Nook.
Disclaimer: My writings represent a combination of my own personal opinions and my professional experiences, but they do not reflect professional advice. Interaction with me via the blog does not constitute a professional therapeutic relationship. For professional and customized advice, you should seek the services of a counselor who can dedicate the hours necessary to become more intimately familiar with your specific situation. I do not assume liability for any portion or content of material on the blog and accept no liability for damage or injury resulting from your decision to interact with the website.