happy birthday liam!

oh how i long to honor you with my words. i fear they won't do you justice. i feel inadequate to describe your friendship, love and devotion that have have given me more than i could have ever expected a marriage to be.

your respect for me as a woman, as a female and as a wife have brought healing and honor to my soul. your dedication and loyalty to our marriage and our family is only outshone by your commitment to our god.

you lead by example, a servant's heart beats deep within your soul. the love you pour out on others is practical and tangible, heartfelt and true. you are gentle and have the patience of job, you are tender and deep with wells of knowledge and wisdom. in your heart beats a renaissance man that only few have the honor of truly knowing.

you are so fun, and funny. you make me laugh like no one else in the world. yet you know balance and can address the serious with dedication and diplomacy like few others.

you are my tender warrior, noble and true, dedicated and lionhearted. you have known hard times even those caused by my own hands and loved me still, emerging stronger and more devoted, instead of less, you are more.

from the moment almost 20 years ago those lips first touched mine i knew my heart would belong to your forever. you are my passionate lover, my soulmate, my challenger and my best friend. i adore you and can think of no one else who could have loved me through it all and like me still. you have been christ to me. redeeming parts of my tattered soul that others would have long ago abandoned. it has many times been a thankless job, but today, today, i long to thank you. to honor you as you have so many times honored me. you complete me, heart of my heart, flesh of my flesh. i can hardly imagine what the future holds, but i am stronger and happier with you by my side. i know we can face it together now, more than ever.

thank you for being who you are, for taking that chance, for opening yourself up to me and for loving me like no one else ever could. i adore you and can't wait to see what the future holds for us. you are my one and only, my gull chased ship. happy birthday liam.

All the diamonds in this world
That mean anything to me
Are conjured up by wind and sunlight
Sparkling on the sea

I ran aground in a harbour town
Lost the taste for being free
Thank God He sent some gull-chased ship
To carry me to sea

Two thousand years and half a world away
Dying trees still grow greener when you pray

Silver scales flash bright and fade
In reeds along the shore
Like a pearl in a sea of liquid jade
His ship comes shining
Like a crystal swan in a sky of suns
His ship comes shining.

Bruce Cockburn