As this Independence Day also marked the 6th anniversary of our engagement, we did a couple of things to celebrate. I ordered Amy some books she'd been wanting, and she's getting me a copy of the October 2007 General Conference DVD. We additional got a set of Doctrine and Covenants tape cassettes and some VHS copies of movies we wanted. We had the opportunity to see both of our families today.
As per our established yearly tradition of going to the temple grounds where I propose to her all over again, we went there today. This year has taken a wear and tear on us and our marriage because of all the stress and setbacks we've experienced of late. I will post more about what's been going on at a later time, perhaps within the next few days. But my point in mentioning this is that I knew our special circumstances required special attention. So in the several days prior to our engagement anniversary, when Amy was either asleep or absorbed in her own projects, I compose a letter to her to let her know what she means to me. I typed mine, unlike the letter she sent me that started our relationship, which she had handwritten, because I was afraid that in the moment I wouldn't be able to read my own handwriting.
As part of the letter, I wrote her a song, with the borrowed tune of the country song "Could I Have This Dance?" Because I want to share the joy of this anniversary with all my readers, I include a copy of the lyrics:
I’ll always remember
The
song my heart played,
The
first time we met and I knew
As I
pondered my feelings,
And we went and we dated,
I fell in love with you.
May I have your love
For this life and beyond?
Will you be beside me
As every day dawns?
When we
are together,
I know we’ll carry on.
May I
have your love,
For
this life and beyond?
I can never forget
The joy of the moment
We knelt at the altar right here
As we made commitments,
And pledged to each other
I knew I had nothing to fear.
May I have your love
For this life and beyond?
Will you be beside me,
As every day dawns?
When
we work together,
I know we’ll carry on.
May I
have your love,
For
this life and beyond?
Finally, I wanted to close this post by sharing something with you about us that I never knew until tonight. When we had our wedding ceremony in the Mount Timpanogos Temple, three of my aunts (Sharon (now Wardle), Jacqui Howden, and Louise Sturt (a surrogate grandmother who in some ways is more dear to me than my own blood grandmothers because of her outstanding presence in my life), all observed that when Amy and I were looking into each other's eyes, she wasn't seeing me as I was now (a disabled man), but as I will be after being healed by the Savior at the time of His Second Coming, and that they could clearly see in our eyes that we loved each other and had known each other in the premortal life and had agreed to meet and marry here. I thought that was really neat to hear, and I thank my family for sharing that with us tonight.
As I close this post, I share my infinite gratitude and everlasting love for this sweet woman, Amy Nuttall Stokes, who loved me enough to not be hung up on my physical disabilities and limitations. I will be eternally grateful to the Lord for bringing this remarkable individual into this insignificant man's life. I love you, sweetheart, now and forever!
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