I wrote this for the newspaper because they have a Mr. Romance contest every year to win a night out.  I am posting it here because I got the date wrong and submitted it a week after the deadline…chemo fog strikes again.  It is short and sweet…there was a word limit. Happy Valentine’s Day!

I would like to tell you about a romance.  It is not all about moonlight and roses even though that is how it started 20 years ago.  Nevertheless, somewhere between candlelight and cancer life changed. What started as a friendship between Bill and I, has blossomed into a deep commitment “for better or worse…till death do us part.”  Marriage is never easy, but the trials of life build the bond of a lifetime.  This year, the fiery trials came from an unexpected illness.  I had a bombshell diagnosis of uterine and ovarian cancer that whisked us into the whirlwind that is Cancerland. 

During this journey, Bill has been by my side at every step.  He cried with me when I was afraid.  He held me during the panic following my diagnosis.  He sweated it out in the waiting room when they found more than they had expected.  I could not lift my head after surgery, so he did it for me. He helped me to stand when I could not bear the pain of it.  When my incision came open, he helped dress it daily.  He fed me when I did not feel like eating.  He drove me to chemo and sat for 6 hours by my side each time.  He held my hand when they tried to find a vein.  He comforted me when my bones ached.  He took me to doctor’s appointments and emergency rooms when I had infections.  When my blood was in the danger zone, he sat while they transfused me. The great thing is his smile and jokes made me laugh through the stressful moments. And now, he is helping me to heal and recover.  He is buying me clothes to make me feel pretty again. He going the extra mile to make it to doctor’s appointments so he can support me and ask questions. This is an amazing man…God has given me.  He has shown me the love of Christ in an incomprehensible way.