| dear frank |

To my dear husband Frank, who is also known as Panky:

I call you Panky because we bonded over the Little Rascals, and I loved the kid who called Spanky, Panky. So I pinned that name to you.  How do I love you? Let me count the ways... You are my best bud because we laugh - together - we play - together - we cry - together - we love - together.  You are so smart; your ability to understand new concepts and to absorb information to recall years later is incredible.  I am impressed.  What's more impressive is that you still think that I am smarter than you!  I'm flattered.  You encourage me to strive for my full potential, and you encourage me to keep going with life even when all I want to do is roll over in the grass and go to sleep.  You have hard times when you doubt yourself and feel that you are not worth anything, but honey, you are worth more than symbolic words can describe, and I love you more than the stars in the sky.  No one can replace the meaning of your life in mine.  I love watching you grow in your understanding of the world, in your relationship with God, and in the confidence you are daily finding within yourself.  Despite your doubts, you are so creative! I love seeing your miniatures which you are so proud of! I love listening to all of your ideas for the house that we want to build someday. I love seeing your face light at the mention of our someday-kids, our someday-pets, the events of the coming summer, the days of our retirement way in the future, the joy of having grandkids someday, the pleasure you find in reading a new book, when you reminisce about your childhood and memories of days spent with your Gramma.  You bring me so much joy, and so much happiness.  We have our tough days where we are fighting each other over a problem, and our tough days when we are fighting the problem together.  But in the midst of it all, no matter what is happening, I love you.  I love you more than anything.  You are so special to me, a precious gem in a pit of coal.  You are my darling, and I cherish you as my best friend, my husband, my confidante, and my love.  Today, I want to say this: I am so proud of you.  I am so proud of how hard you have worked to earn your degree in Humanities.  I've seen how hard you've worked, and how frustrated you could get sometimes.  And I've seen the days when you have truly enjoyed what you are learning, when you didn't want it to end; and I've seen the days when you just wanted to quit.  Now you are at the end of this little chapter, I look back with fond memories of how this diploma you will be receiving not only represents work well done and bravery to have done so, but also the beginnings of us and all that we have walked through together.  You have done so well and worked so hard to earn this degree, and I. am. so. proud. You are amazing, loving, and brilliant, and I'm so excited to see what God leads you (and us) to next! :) Congratulations my dear, with God's help, you did it.

Love, Jess (aka Bunny, because you know I love bunnies)