A Love Letter To Joseph Allen

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, we asked Patch readers to write a love letter to that special someone and let us deliver it. This is Mary Allen’s love letter to her husband, Joseph:

Happy Valentine's Day, Joseph Allen,

To say that I love you doesn't really begin to explain my feelings for you. Our love has grown deeper with each passing year. When we got together 25 years ago, we were young and in love. We didn't know what the future would hold, but we were excited and confident that whatever it was, we would do it together. And we have! But it hasn't always been easy. When I think back to our wedding day I think about how full of hope and love and excitement we were. I think of how we envisioned our lives -- and there was nothing hard about it! We were so naive! We had no idea the challenges we would face...

What I love most about you is how grounded you are, that in the midst of turmoil in our lives, I can lean on you and feel comfort and safety in your arms. You are my rock, you are my safe place. I can trust you with my life, the lives of our children and grandchildren, my crazy feelings, my fears, my dreams. And you are worthy of that trust.

As I look back over the past 25 years (can you believe it's been 25 years already?!) I smile over the joys we've experienced and tears well up as I think of the hard times and the good times. But it's been a beautiful life. I like to think that the joys we experience are made that much sweeter by the difficulties we've faced.

We've been through so much together -- we've traveled to new places, bought and sold homes, adopted and trained pets, and gone through work and career changes. (Remember when you were a diesel mechanic and you came home that day and told me you were going to start selling cars?) We’ve raised three beautiful children, going through Matthew's heart condition scare, Brian's many daredevil injures and all of Dustin's broken bones and concussions. We’ve endured countless other hospitalizations, procedures, appointments, deployments of a child, coached multiple football and baseball teams, supported other local families by taking in their kids, gone through school with our kids, worried about, loved and cared for our children in each stage of their lives so far. We’ve become grandparents, moved our family and dealt with unemployment, and we've grown in our faith individually, as a couple and as a family.

I'd like to say that we always did it perfectly, but that wouldn't be true. But we have always approached each situation together, as a team. And when feelings have been hurt we have apologized and made things right in our relationship.

With Valentine's Day approaching, I realize that we are once again completely unaware of what the next 25 years may hold. But as we continue to walk down that road I know that we will be together and you will be right there holding my hand as we walk through the valleys and reach the beautiful mountaintops. And I couldn't imagine my life any other way.

I love you and respect you now and forever.

All my love,
Mary

See all Patch love letters here.

For next month's Love In A Small Town feature, we want to know: What place in town will always be a reminder of love for you? Whether it's the park where you had your first kiss or the restaurant where he proposed, email your story to locallove@patch.com for the chance to be featured. Get more details here.