The Girl I Admire, The Woman I Married: 21st Wedding Anniversary Tribute

"I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you." — Roy Croft

I stumbled upon this quote right after our wedding anniversary, and it truly resonates withme. It made me look back to the days when my wife was a young woman, the cherished daughter of her father, and the princess of her father's home. I remember how I used to admire her and to me, she was the most beautiful woman I had ever met.

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Then, she became my wife.

And so you know, nothing has changed. I still see her today with the exact same eyes as that unmarried young man decades ago. She is the most understanding wife I could have ever asked for, and I have never regretted a single moment spent by her side. She is the mother of our four wonderful children, a role that has only made her more beautiful in my eyes. Like anyone, she has her flaws, but they pale in comparison to the immense goodness of her heart.

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Even though she stays incredibly busy with her career as a teacher, she always manages to find time for us. She is truly the finest strategist I know when it comes to balancing family life. Now, celebrating 21 years of marriage, I find myself still deeply in love with her, and nothing in this world can change that. It might sound simple, but there is no exaggeration in saying how much room she occupies in my heart. Our children see every day how much I care for this family.

Throughout our years together, I have seen her moments of fragility. But I like to think her willingness to show weakness comes from knowing she is entirely safe and secure with me.

We just came back from celebrating our 21st anniversary on May 23rd at Malapascua Island, Daanbantayan, Cebu, Philippines. It made the milestone even more meaningful because we were able to step away, explore together, and watch the family genuinely enjoy each other's company.

A Note for My Wife:
Since she is about to join Hive, I wanted to leave this letter here in case she stumbles upon it:

Thank you for always supporting me and our children. You are the absolute reason why I keep moving forward in life. Sometimes things get difficult for us, but we never lose hope because we are standing side by side.

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You know how deeply grateful I am that over two decades ago, "I found the one my heart loves" (Song of Solomon 3:4). My greatest hope is that our bond serves as an inspiration for our children when they look for true love of their own.

If you ever find yourself feeling overwhelmed or sad, come to me. I will never get tired of comforting you or holding you up. We might be growing older on the surface, but our hearts still share that same youthful spark. I will always support you in whatever journey you choose to take. The kids and I are forever in your corner.