A Valetines Day Love Letter

This post is dedicated to my husband, and every other man with a writer wife :)

On this, the day of love, my mind naturally turns to my husband. I could spend an entire post rattling off the many reasons why I think he is the BEST, hottest, most wonderful husband. (Believe me, I could.) But, I'll share that list with him, and spare you all the nausea.

However, I think that there is one thing that many of us writer wives and mothers can agree on. And that is the invaluable support of our men. I think each relationship varies, but there is a common thread of love and patience that husbands show to us, their wives.

It can be as simple as withholding that grimace when they come home (yet again) to a house in disarray. Maybe they'll clean up that house themselves, to give you time to write. How many times has that husband entertained the kids on a weekend while you are upstairs typing away? And how many times has he settled down with a book or a tv show in the evenings, when the two of you could be spending quality time, but you have been overcome with the need to finish that new chapter?

Sometimes, the support takes on a different style. Our husbands are our personal sounding boards. We discuss stories, characters, plot twists. Voluntarily, or not. :) But, sometimes your writing is all you think about, and therefore all you talk about. Further down the road, husbands read our stories, and give us honest feedback. That's actually a wonderful thing about a husband beta: he doesn't sugar coat. (At least, mine doesn't. :) But, I'm very grateful for it.)

And finally, husbands are there for us in the darker moments. When we get the dreaded writer's block. When our insecurities overwhelm us and we are ready to give up. When the rejection letters start to pile up. Our husbands are there, telling us to never give up on our dreams.

So, to all you wonderful husbands out there, we, your writer wives say, "Thank you!" We know that we might not live up to the dream of the Domestic Goddess, but you didn't want that anyway (right?) And that's why we love you. You are there for us, despite our flaws, helping us to achieve our dreams. And that's why we love you. You make the rough road a little more bearable, and a lot more enjoy able. And that's why we love you.