Anniversary Poem for James 2021

You are well-meaning, loyal,
service oriented, purpose driven,
fastidious, earnest, and devout.
You recycle almost everything.
You grow dirt, which results
in amazing flowers and produce.
Can I mention your fabulous legs,
hands, smile, those crinkles by your eyes?
I can never get enough of
your singing voice or your laugh.
You easily find things “hilarious.”
You care for me so well,
spearheading the laundry,
paperwork, framing, and dishes;
I can’t thank you enough
for all that, but I try.
You are a terrific Papa
to our wonderful progeny,
meeting them where they are
in the way that they need,
always willing to help them.
Probably my favorite thing about you is
that you are growing, learning,
never stuck in your ways,
evolving without resistance,
urging on and welcoming progress,
and thankfully soaring
more and more everyday.
What a beautiful attitude to be around.
You are irrepressibly moving forward
developing skills and understanding daily.
You have huge hopes,
grounded in your love for God,
while you say I’m the idealist.
Your knowledge of the Bible is prodigious,
and your gracious ability to simply
unpack its myriad messages
(which so many find extremely obtuse)
is total genius, which you modestly
take completely for granted.
It is just part of the air
you breathe, you think,
but after 32 years of living with you,
I also know it is born of multiple hours
of study and prayer every single morning,
accruing, like your garden,
from diligent nurturing and cultivation,
resulting in the healthy soil
of your spiritual life.
Our marriage is like that too,
getting better every year, growing,
thriving, deepening with our tending.
We keep ourselves awake,
chatting way past our bedtime.
We both share what we’re grateful for
each day just before we go to sleep,
and often that daily list
just goes on and on and on.
You’ve trained me (mostly)
to shut cabinets, and to finish the
old package before starting the new,
and I’ve got you mowing the grass
usually before you want to.
We average out well,
each bringing the other up.
I am so glad to be with you
and I love the life we’ve built together
both to honor God and each other.
Thank you for being exactly who you are.
I love you more than ever.
Happy Anniversary!

by Polly Castor
12/29/21