45th Valentine's Day

Yesterday was Valentine's Day here in Australia and the US is just in the midst of theirs.  So what is it like to be sharing that day for the 45th time?  It's sitting in a District Council meeting with 8 young missionaries and feeling the press of her knee against mine, and smiling.  It's having her put her hand on my leg and putting my arm around the back of her chair.  It's holding a tray of homemade red velvet cupcakes, in the car, that she's just baked for the young missionaries, as she places mini M and M's on the top of each cupcake....only the red ones earn the right for the top of the white frosting.  It's being asked if I bought her chocolates and before I can say "no" she says, "yes, he bought me chocolate chips at Costco!"  It's watching her play the piano, at the church, before a broadcast and realizing, for the tenth time today, how beautiful she is.  I still remember the Sunday after our first date when I saw her playing the piano in church and thinking, "wow, that's a talent that would be so cool for a wife and mother to have."  It's sitting beside her in an ice cream shop with a dozen young people, in the middle of Canberra, because the broadcast didn't work out and watching her take 3 times as much time to eat her ice cream that is half as big as the one that I just scarfed down.  It's hearing her happy laughter after the counselor in the Stake Presidency calls me "svelte".  It's listening to her prayer, as we close the day, and hearing her name specific family and friends that she's thinking about.  It's realizing the love that we shared 45 years ago has expanded to include thousands of others and thus, expanded our love for each other.  Today we will attend our first official Rugby game and I will sit beside her knowing that going to a sporting event is one of the last places that she wants to be but she will cheer for Gabby because her heart has expanded to include these beautiful people in the land down under.  Happy Valentines Day

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