19 years. . .

These are my grandparents. My mother's parents. I attended a family reunion this summer where we celebrated them and our family. 

We began our reunion at the cemetery where both sets of my grandparents are buried along with my mother. As we sat on the grass near their gravesites overlooking the city we began to share stories with each other.

My cousin shared a story that just absolutely touched my heart. My Grandmother suffered with Alzheimer's disease. I was young at the time but not young enough to notice that Grandma began to change. I also noticed that it changed my Grandpa. He never left her side and fought the battle with her every step of the way. My cousin shared an experience he had with my Grandpa. He recalls that there was a day when he was a teenager and  for some reason he had to pick up my grandma and grandpa and drive them somewhere. He remembers that Grandpa sat in the front seat of the truck and Grandma sat in the backseat. At this point she really didn't remember much, but she did know that my Grandpa was a constant in her life and she kept reaching her hand up to hold on to his hand. My cousin innocently asked my Grandpa if it was hard to love Grandma now that she doesn't remember him or anything about their life.

My grandpa didn't hesitate a moment and told my cousin that he had never loved my Grandma more in his life because for the past 10 years he had the privilege to serve her unconditionally. 

I sat at the cemetery that day and just cried. 

This past year my love for my husband grew more in one year than all our years combined. Love doesn't even seem like a strong enough word. After my surgery, my recovery did not go as planned and I was put in a position where I had to rely on my husband for my every need for almost 8 weeks. He saw me at my worst. Literally my worst. And he served me. And helped me. And loved me through it all. There were days where he could do nothing but love me, and I knew it and I was in a place where I had to cleave to that love just to get through it. 

I think as my cousin shared his experience with my Grandfather it all just made sense to me and clicked. Our love intensified because Kyle served and loved me when I needed it most and I was able to let myself be served and loved and our LOVE grew. I look at him different after this year. While I realize that he and I may not be perfect I do realize that the love we have is getting a little closer to being perfect love. 

I love our love.