The Musings Of An Opinionated Sod [Help Me Grow!]

Well, because 10 years ago today, I married Jill.

It has been the best 10 years of my life.

I can’t really put into words all the things I feel about her.

Or all the things she has done for me.

Put simply, she is the kindest, most considerate, most caring, talented, beautiful person I know.

The fact she was willing to leave her life to go on an adventure with a man she hardly knew within weeks of meeting him, blows my mind.

Especially when that man is me and I was going through a particularly strange time in my life.

But that’s exactly what she did and she has continued to stick with me despite the fact I’ve dragged her to live in a whole bunch of different countries, made her watch countless episodes of Come Dine With Me and good-naturedly taken the piss out of her early morning, half asleep mutterings via the Jillysim blog … not to mention a whole host of other things in-between.

And yet even after all that, I continue feel the love she has for me every day.

Every single day.

Not just in the big things, but the small.

I remember when we first started going out I found it hard to accept someone actually wanted to take away any sadness or hardship I felt, but here she was, actively looking for ways to take away the bad so I could feel the good.

But that sums up Jill perfectly.

Her emotional generosity knows no bounds.

Whether that’s how she found ways to let my Mum feel part of Otis’ birth or the daily adventures she creates for our precious son … everything she does is to ensure the people she cares for, feel cared for.

Now I know that makes her sound perfect, but trust me, she’s not.

OK, so she’s close, but she has flaws … however apart from the fact this is supposed to be a love letter, our 7 years in China helped Jill find – and release – her badass side, so to prevent being karate chopped in the throat, I’ll get back to the schmaltz.

When I look back at the last 10 years of my life, I am incredibly fortunate to be able to say it has been pretty amazing and so much of that is down to Jill.

She makes me feel more secure, settled and loved than at any point in my life.

She ensures our dark days are less bleak and our brightest, more bright.

She has helped us do things I would have otherwise never of thought to do or never of thought we could do.

In short, she I would not be able to do the things I do without her.

I am eternally grateful for her terrible taste in men and I hope I never take what she does for me – and our family – for granted because she is 1 in 7 billion and I hope I make her feel as loved and cared for as she does for me. 

Thank you for everything my love.

Happy 10th anniversary, our best days are still ahead of us.

Rx