Today, you begin your 40th year on this earth
39 years behind, today the first of your new year
1999 was the first birthday I spent with you
I took you to Big Bowl if I remember rightly
The next year – 2000 – we were newly married – just 24 days in
Today, we are 19 years, and 24 days married
That is 6,959 days we have been married
If you are counting, our first date was 7465 (thank you Siri)
7 more onto that if go back to the carnation on February 14th, 1999
So since we have started this thing, it has been 7472 days as of today
We have lived in 1 condo, 2 houses
We have had a few cats (5ish?)
I think 11 or 12 dogs at last count
And at this moment – beyond all we could have asked or imagined –
We have 4 boys
Lukas Seth
Liam Elliott
Landon James
Larkin Bear
All of whom are different, but each are amazing
My point is this – a lot has happened
A ton of good times and more than we deserve great times
And a lot of hard and weird wilderness type of seasons
But we are here, together
I am thankful and grateful that we are in this together
I can not imagine nor do I want to imagine an alternate reality
or multi-verse without us
Instead I am deeply grateful and overwhelmed.
I was mess when we met – still am for that matter
But your love has always been constant and true
You have never waned in your support and care for me
And that love, you have also shared with our sons
That love has been magnified exponentially to them
You love our sons in ways that astonish me
This day I celebrate you and the life we have shared
You are strong,
passionate,
creative
and I still believe you are the funniest person I have ever met
You are more than I deserve
Better than I could have dreamt of
More consistent than I hoped for
Beyond anything that I could ever properly show to you
This day I hope you know the special place you hold in my heart
Our boy’s hearts and in many other hearts of family and friends.
May this day mark the end of one season and the beginning of another
May you find joy and peace and hope
May you experience fully the new wine in this next season
May you find new wineskins to contain it all
I love you with all my heart
May you know all of this in the deepest parts of your heart and soul today.
-Kevin A. Parido, July 31, 2019
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Why an ode?: An ode is an elaborately structured poem praising or glorifying an event or individual, describing the person intellectually as well as emotionally. I wanted to write something that is forever public and forever floating on the internet cloud so that it is recorded and known for all the world to see and know. May they all know my love for Sarabeth Parido.
Here, here – let us all raise our glasses…
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