The Romantic.com

My husband and I were recently married (November 16, 2004) and he was unexpectedly diagnosed with throat cancer on January 3, 2005. The doctors anticipate that this will hopefully be a treatable cancer. So, along with wanting our “First Valentine’s Day” to be special, I wanted it to be even more special given the cancer diagnosis.

I have thought for weeks now about what to do. Then it came to me through one simple comment he made one Sunday after leaving church–our Sunday School teacher had asked him to lead the prayer to close our class, and he prayed a beautiful, heartfelt prayer.

When we left church, I made the comment to him that although I can pray just fine in my alone time, I find it difficult to keep my thoughts straight and to find the words I need if I’m in a situation of having to pray “out loud”, especially in a group of people. He was silent for a brief moment and then said, “I want to hear you, just one time, I’d like to hear you. I’d like to hear you say a prayer for me, even if you have to write it first and then read it, I don’t care. I just want to hear you pray.”

Of course, the wheels in my head started turning. I immediately thought of writing a special prayer to read to him on Valentine’s Day as one of my “gifts” to him. But as I thought about it, I’ve decided to carry it one step further. Yes, I still plan to share a special prayer with him, but I don’t want to stop there.

The traditional gift for the first year anniversary is “paper” — a few days ago I purchased a journal with lined pages and I plan to continue to note my prayers in the journal and then present him with it on our first anniversary. I often tell him that I pray for him a lot, and I do — but wouldn’t it be a blessing to actually see/hear the prayers coming from your partner’s heart and soul asking for your own safety, health, endurance and strength?