I don’t know if I can truly describe how it feels.

It’s like butter melting on a hot knife; honey oozing out of the honeycomb. Like a wave of comfort coming over me, enveloping me from head to toe, and I get lost in its warmth. It makes me feel like a child, safe and small and secure under a blanket of soft kisses and quiet whispers of “sweet dreams” and “goodnight”. The tightness in my body melts away, and I feel sleep take over instantly, sending me floating on a cloud of dreaming. After all of these years, this is still how it feels like when I crawl into the safety of your arms. Nuzzled in your chest, I hear the roar of your heartbeat and the steady rhythm of your breath. You are still my safe place.

The world has been so fortunate to have had you for the last 34 years- kind, loving, supportive you. A man I’ve been told so many times I’m lucky to have, but they don’t even know the half of it. I want to tell everybody about you, to shout from the rooftops about how great you are, how amazing it is to be loved by you. But you wouldn’t like it, that’s not attention you’ve ever wanted or needed. All you ever required was to be loved genuinely, and pancake breakfasts, and back scratches, and tender words. You never ask for much, even when you deserve it all.

Our life has taken so many twists and turns, and we’re currently on a new adventure. We don’t really get to hold each other’s hands; there are little ones we’re holding on to for now. We don’t really get to cuddle for a long time, since there are little heads taking up space in the crooks of our arms. We struggle to stay up late just to catch up on each other’s day, but sometimes find ourselves surrendering to sleep. Please know that even when that happens, I still hold you dearly in my dreams. I would not want to be on this adventure with anybody else but you, my love. You are my always.

On this special day of yours, I hope you find yourself looking at your life and knowing that this is exactly where you are supposed to be. God placed you here, and you will be watered, and you will thrive, and you will stretch out like a big, strong tree, bearing fruit and giving shelter. May your cup be filled to the overflowing, your heart content and your spirit at peace. You are so loved.

Happy, happy birthday my darling. Remember that you are safe here. You will always be safe here.