Romance, and Love and Nyle OH MY

I was teaching a spiritual lesson to my Women's group at Church.  The subject matter escapes me now it has been 16 years. 

My beloved husband was far too ill to dress and come to church.  The medical conditions that he had caused extreme nausea, difficulty breathing, pain, and many other issues. 

Still, on this day, while I was teaching there he was in his suit looking so handsome, and so healthy.  Nobody would have guessed what price he had to pay to make that appearance.  In his arms were beautiful flowers.

He came up and presented me with the flowers.  The ladies all oohed and aahed.  Then he announced that the following Saturday was my 40th birthday and that all of the congregation was invited.  My jaw dropped twice.  Once for announcing that it was my 40th birthday (did I really want everyone to know?  lol  Once for the invitation to the entire congregation (about 200 people in all).

I have social anxiety, even a group that large of my closest relatives and friends would find me in fetal position in the corner sucking my thumb!  (OK, maybe not the thumb sucking park)

Then he took me in his strong arms, dipped me and kissed me, and departed as quickly as he had come.  May I mention that I NEVER got the lesson back on track after that.  The sisters were much too impressed by my romantic husband to remember the lesson.

One sister asked me if my husband could give her husband romance lessons!  hee hee hee  Nyle's love was a gift, CORRECTION is a gift that I will treasure forever.

The party was splendid...he designed the graphics on our little computer and laboriously printed out different sections and then put them together to form huge banners.  He purchased about 45 helium balloons.  He had 40 people bring out balloons to our front yard.  He announced in his best attorney/actor/radio advertisement voice that each balloon represented some problem or trouble in the 40 years that I had lived.  As we let go of each balloon my slate would be wiped clean and I would be able to start again.

I could not believe the restorative power of those balloons floating away, taking my troubles, and problems with them.

Did I mention that he orchestrated all of this desperately ill?  He was so nauseated, and sometimes he would cough so hard t would drop him to the floor.  Yet he persevered and did all of that for me.  His love humbles me, and makes me oh so grateful for the twenty-seven years that we shared, and the eternity that we will yet share.