Today is my Tommy’s birthday. This day symbolizes a lot for both me and for our relationship. It is the 3rd celebration of his special day that we have enjoyed together. In the scheme of things, that seems like such a short time. Yet, we both know the magnitude of things that we have gone through.
This time of year is when we began our wonderful journey together. It is when our paths not only crossed, but finally collided in such a powerful way that they completely re-routed into one. Though bumpy as any road can be, these hills and valleys that we travel are ones that we sometimes walk hand in hand, other times run towards with our heads held high and many times have carried each other over…together.
I cant express the feelings that I have in words that don’t trivialize the true depth of those emotions. I have changed as a person in such an immense way that I wonder how I ever accepted who I was before this point in my life. I have found myself, and my creativity again. I feel life for all of its raw intensity and I sense my purpose now. I am not too much a hopeless romantic to claim that it was because of this person’s presence in my life…But I could never discount the fact that he has coaxed and led me into the groove of my path. That little crevice that held the true essence of the person that I was meant to become.
And he did this by simply following his own way, by being himself.
This is not to say that we have not faced challenges that have, on more than one occasion, left me feeling that this would never work due to our differences. We are opposites in so many fundamental ways that when my energy is low, the easy thing to allow my mind to wonder to is giving up. But, having come out on top of every single one of those moral and emotional battles with a renewed strength, together, shows me that giving up is not an option. I would lose my best friend, the match to my soul and my biggest source of laughter, strength and passion if I ever allowed the negativity to win-out over the overwhelming amount of positivity.
Besides, what are challenges other than ‘acts or statements of defiance’ against the current flow of things. This necessary change is what makes us co-exist so well. If we stood still too long, we would be swallowed in the stangnance of what was once exciting. We thrive on the dance of back and forth, up and down. We take steps together, and in perfect tune to our own song, one will lead while the other follows and when the steps call for it, we switch. To have someone to hold you up as much as you hold them up is a powerful thing. Supported by each others strong roots our tree can blossom to its fullest potential. I no longer look back on what we once were, but rather I look ahead to who we will become, by each others sides. Thank you for always reaching your hand out to meet mine through the darkness that, at times, can be life.

Because I sometimes get caught up in my words in ways that don’t truly express the sincere love and admiration I have for you…. Ill let someone else say it to you:

Ps. Happy Birthday my old man — We have many more to spend together, and with each year that passes I know that we grow closer and wiser, together.