To me, he is the heat of the summer sun and the salty smell of ocean waves.
He is a warm cup of coffee first thing in the morning that revives and strengthens – fortifying my spirt for the day that lies ahead.
He is forgiveness for my weaknesses, and an unerring confidence in the strengths I am blind to see in myself.
He is eyes that are gray on rainy days, green in fields of young grass, and the brightest blue everywhere in between.
He is a glass of red wine in front of a warm fire.
He is oil on canvas in indigo blues, muted reds, and tawny browns the color of bold coffee subdued by cold cream.
He is passion, and loyalty, and laughter, and simplicity. A plan gray t-shirt that is soft and light with the steady consistency of frequent wear.
He is a warm place to lay down my troubled head and weary mind, and the only faith that can fortify my spirit to carry on each day.
He is laughter and levity and the clean smell of soap and words tinged with the fragrance of cool mint.
He is the sun setting over an ocean horizon, with a sky full of oranges, pinks, and reds, and the sound of lapping water, and rolling waves.
His is the first voice I want to hear every morning, and the last goodnight I seek at the end of each long, wearisome day.
His was the life I could not leave behind when young love and the prospects of career diverged and choices were made.
His are the shoulders that carried me, disgracefully, through the streets of Manhattan, with confetti raining down around me, flecks of glitter abandoning my dress, blonde ringlets wilting around my upside-down face, one shoe in tow while the other traveled uptown in a taxi cab, and the words, “no matter what, I will always take care of you” humming in my ears.
His was the hand I clung to all through the worst night of my life. The only thing familiar in a world I could no longer recognize. His was the hand that tethered my broken consciousness to my shattered heart until I had healed well enough to let go and try to stand on my own again.
He is the promise I make every day, to love, to loyalty, and to friendship. He is the love of every day, in this life, and any that follow. He is the better part of me, and the hope that we are not meant to travel through this life as lonely wanderers. He is the hope that we can be loved despite our flaws and weaknesses, and that such love can make us better, more worthy people.
To me, he is love.