Dear Amy,
It’s your birthday tomorrow! Which means we’ve been together for twelve of your birthdays. I’m thankful for the ones we’ve gotten to celebrate as a couple. (Although I wish I could’ve been there for all of them, because I’m confident that back in the day I would’ve played a solid Prince Eric at your Little Mermaid-themed parties in elementary school. Your parents are probably glad I wasn’t there, though, because I’m positive the seven-year-old version of me would’ve found you as beautiful as the almost 30-year-old version does today — and I most likely would’ve chased you around trying to kiss you the whole time. Kinda like I do at home now). In the past, I’ve written you an open letter, a love letter, for your big day. This year, I decided to do something a little different. Like the 12 Days of Christmas, I wrote the 12 things you, my true love, give to meee! (Sing that last part).
Not the big, significant, life-changing things. Just the little things I love about you that I know I’d miss most if you were gone.
1. I love the way you always kick up your feet on the car dashboard when we’re driving. You sway them in and out like a conductor and wiggle your toes to the music. You know I hate it because it gets the car dirty — and I’m a neat freak — but I love it because it reminds me of the time we were in college, drove to San Diego and listened to Kenny Chesney’s Sweet Summertime as we came down the hill overlooking the beach. You’ve always been so sweet and carefree.
2. I love that you can’t login to our bank accounts. Or anything official of ours. It’s how I ordered your birthday gift months ago — and you couldn’t find it if you tried.
3. I love that you’re a much slower eater than me. Because it gives me time to clean up the entire kitchen before you get a chance to “help.” It also gives me a chance to clean your plate. That fact alone probably explains why one of us has always had weight fluctuations. And you haven’t.
4. I love that you recently switched over to wearing yoga pants instead of house shorts. That’s the moment I considered my 2016 made. If I would’ve won the lottery this year, the yoga pants would’ve been a close second. But just barely. And then I would’ve bought a lifetime supply of yoga pants. p.s. Thanks for buying them consignment and not at Lululemon. Now our future kids can go to college.
5. I love that you can rap almost every song in Hamilton. Even the really fast ones. You’ve been at it for a few hours every day while editing, showering, driving and just about everything else, and I admire your enthusiasm and perseverance. You haven’t let the fact that you’re the whitest person on Planet Earth hold you back. It didn’t hold Eminem back either. You got this.
6. I love how much you love your Barre3 workout classes (see No. 4).
7. I love that it takes you multiple days to finish your Starbucks latte. Because I’m the nerd and I love how much money it saves us. And also because it’s the only time you use our microwave.
8. Follow-up: I love that your order is a venti, hot, skinny, vanilla latte. Remember the time the barista laughed through the intercom when you ordered a tall? She interrupted us at tall, hot, skinny and said, “I think you’re in the wrong place. We don’t sell that here.”
We laughed. Then tipped her extra.
9. I love the way Mr. Carson snuggles with you under the sheets in bed. And how you snuggle up in airports and on airplanes when he’s not around. #mywifethetravelcat
10. I hate that, seven years into marriage, you still leave a pile of shoes near the front door. But I love that, seven years into marriage, you still defend it. With a straight face. “One pair would get lonely by itself. So I’m keeping them together so they can keep each other warm. And have shoe parties.” Oy. Vey.
11. I love the way you put your hair up in a HIGH pony tail before bed at night — and how much it makes you look like Pebbles Flintstone.
12. I love the way you look with your glasses on. They make you feel like an old lady (and a little embarrassed) when you can’t see things far away, but they remind me of how thankful I am to get to grow old with you and celebrate all the birthdays yet to come. Because before I ever fell in love with the smile below your nose, I fell in love with the light in your eyes.
Happy birthday, you.
Love, Me.
In the birthday spirit?
Read past letters we wrote to each other here: