Dear future husband,

I hope you never go a day without knowing how much I love you. Wherever you are, I hope that you are preparing yourself to be the man that God has called you to be for me. I hope you are a bone of my bone and the flesh of my flesh. I hope we know without a doubt that we were meant to be together. I know I’m a little crazy sometimes-okay, all the time. So here is a helpful guide on how to keep me happy.

First of all, more than anything I hope that you love Jesus more than you love me. I hope you fiercely pursue Him and love Him in a way that I can only aspire to. I hope our kids follow in your footsteps and that you are the ultimate spiritual leader of our home. I hope you ask me how my walk with the Lord is and that you never stop trying to build our relationship on Christ. I hope you’re patient, because God knows I’m crazy. I hope you are willing to listen to Taylor Swift on repeat every day, since that IS the way to my heart. I hope that you’re patient when it comes to my cooking skills; I’m hoping they improve over time. I’m sorry if they don’t.

If I shut down and tell you to go away, it probably means “bring me roses and chocolate and tell me I’m beautiful.” When you mess up- I hope you apologize. I hope you’re humble enough to realize that it’s okay to have help sometimes. I hope you never think of yourself so highly that you think you have life all figured out, because no one truly does.

Please stay compassionate, because that’s probably what made me fall in love with you in the first place. Even if I don’t sound appreciative of things that you do, I hope you know that I appreciate everything you do to build our future together. I hope you still take me on random adventures and dates. I hope you’re used to me and my best friend’s craziness by now. I hope you’re always up for snuggling because you know that I need that all the time. Like non-stop. I think it’s a problem. I hope you’re honest when I ask you how I look. When I’m a mess- I know I’m a mess, don’t try to sugar-coat it. Tell me when you think I’m beautiful even when I don’t believe you.

I hope you always believe in yourself. I hope that you sing in the car with me to the top of your lungs to our favorite songs. I hope we have a song that captures our relationship and every time it comes on we say “it’s our song!!” I hope that you hold my hand in public and you kiss my forehead at random times. I hope you never stop looking at me like I’m the only girl in the world. Please never stop doing that. I hope you love me unconditionally. I hope you help my dad fix things and that he takes you fishing and to do manly things with him. Honestly, I hope my dad thinks of you as a friend more than a guy who stole his daughter from him. I hope he trusts you. I hope you bond with my brother, even though he hates me.

I hope our daughter thinks of you more as a Prince Charming than a daddy figure. I hope you’re best friends with our son and that you teach him how to fix cars and how to make it in this scary world. I hope you teach him how to be a man of his word, polite, and in love with Jesus. I hope our children run to you for advice and love and not away from you to find it in other places. I hope you stay silly, and that you appreciate the little things in life. I hope you still have fun. I hope you let loose and don’t let a moment pass by without making memories. I hope that you know me more than anyone in this world. I hope you know what makes me tick and what I love. I hope you grow to appreciate the fact that I have an obsessive personality. I hope you joke around with me and that we have cute little inside jokes. I hope that you don’t feel like you have to be anyone but yourself with me. I hope we have the kind of relationship that makes other people sick. I hope that you have a lot of courage and strength. I hope you stay hardworking. I hope you watch all of the Disney movies with me. I hope you want ten dogs too, because that’s like a dream of mine. I hope you give me flowers on a random Thursday night instead of as just a routine on every Valentine’s Day and anniversary.

I hope you’re up for random coffee dates, because I can’t live without coffee, so thus we need Black Rock in our lives on the norm. I hope you do the dishes. Lastly, I hope you continue to pursue me, even when we’re celebrating our 50^th year together. I hope you still send me random texts that tell me you think I’m cute or you appreciate me. Never stop trying to win me over.

I hope that I’m a good wife, oh God, I hope that I’m a good wife to you. I hope that I never stop encouraging you and that I am a Proverbs 31 woman to you. I pray that I never cease to encourage you to be a better man and that I’m constantly praying for you and loving you in your walk with the Lord. I hope that I consider the fact that you’re not perfect when I begin to get irritated about something you did. I hope that I never go a whole day mad at you. I hope that I love Jesus more than I love you.

When I mess up- I hope you forgive me when I ask for your forgiveness and that you tell me when I’m wrong- even if it’s not that often ;) I hope that I grow to know you more than you know yourself. I hope I can make you laugh. I hope that I never give up on you. I hope that I never fail you. I hope that I start to miss you when you’ve been at work all day. I hope I fall in love with you all over again every single day. I hope that I never go back on what I vowed to you on our wedding day.

I hope I respect you. I hope that my eyes sparkle every time I see you and that it’s evident to everyone around us. I hope I’m a good mom to your kids. I hope that your mom likes me and that we’re best friends rather than enemies like you see in all of the movies. I hope she thinks I’m worthy enough for you. I hope that you consider me worthy. I hope I am worthy.

I hope that I’m a good housewife and that you come home after work each day and it feels like HOME. I pray that I love you unconditionally through everything. I pray that our love is real and that you never regret marrying me. I hope that you grow to love me more than you did the first year we were together. I hope you confide in me and trust me with the innermost parts of your being. I hope I give you wise advice. I hope that I am respectable. I hope you’re not afraid to show me off to your friends. I hope I look halfway decent for you. I hope that our kids look like you. I hope they have your beautiful eyes. I hope that I never go a day wondering why I married you or how we ended up where we are. I hope that I am everything you ever imagined your wife to be one day.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8.