Did I tell you that I love my wife?

I just love my wife. She loves me. At least she has proven it by remaining. She is nothing like me, thank God. We do not share in my loves of things. I try to share in hers. I love my wife, for all my life. I just plain love my wife.

Oh I reckon I do not love her like I did back at the turn of the century. But I was an idiot back then. She does not wear a fancy wedding ring. That just is not her thing. She does not like me to sneak up and hold her tight. But we love to hold hands into the night.

I figure for sure she is not interested in my successful writing exploits. She is more concerned with cars and yards being ship shape and that I eat my veggies. She hates my family like I do. And loves them just the same as I do. Her family is my family and mine is hers. Funny huh?

Divorce is not even a remote option. Love is each one's job. Fighting has no rules except: I love you. We are brutally honest. Ouch!! We stick our noses in each others business. Ouch!

We accept that I am an old man. And that she is a beautiful young flower. I carried a back pack once for about 12 miles that weighed more than her. I once carried her for several miles so she would not hurt her feet.

She was born in and around a country in the peak of war. She did not see her dad until the age of four because he was in a concentration camp after that war. She is my rock of ages. And she acts like I am cool. Not always and not really when I need it -- but still.

Have you ever been cold and wet and hungry and tired and angry. Well that was my scenario until I met my wife. Nope not physically all those things. Just mentally.

That gal named my wife: She really is not all that great. Dang and dognabbit she is a pain in my butt. She becomes a bitch. She nags like a bad dream. She follows me around and criticizes me. There is nothing I do right. I am too poor. Too old. Too ugly and just plain not good enough.

And then I can't help falling in love with her. She is me. How can I tell you that I need that.

You see I just love my wife. Maybe she don't love me the same. dat be real cool. Cuz I did not fall in love wit me. I done givee my heart up to dat babe.

Can you dig it? She completes me. She is what I am not. She does not even love my Jesus like I do. She loves dat Man like she do. So cool to da rule!

We see others by lovin each odder. Lift me higher. Make me a cryer.

Over dare is a canal I cannot cross. So she is the bridge. Because nada o'er dare is as good as right here right now with her.

Are you feeling dat love?

You see I can still bench press over 300 pounds, and leg press over 700. I have broken several men's knuckles with my face. My hands resemble gorilla and backhoe claws. At first I always scare children and police. And intimidating is a pretty good adjective of my belonging. Some folks call me garth and others scarface but ain't nobody call me adorable. And did I tell you another man bit off my ear as he was cutting me with a broken beer bottle. And all that led me to a long nasty stint in a Tijuana jail. Ya see I am far more trouble than I is worth

Some say the beauty and the beast.

Can you imagine that I am proud of me? Can you imagine that people love me? Can you imagine that little children hug my legs and cry "teacher let us come with you"? Yep that big old beast is loved.

But I tell you it is because of a diamond that is higher than the sun. She lifts me and gifts me. Every day I miss her for whatever minute she walks into the other room.

She is not my "race". She is not my "age" And she damn sure is under 80 pounds and pretty.

Did I tell you that I love my wife? I guess I should shut up. But.......