Today, I release you.

I release you from the idea that you will complete me.

I release you from the obligation that you may feel to shoulder the burdens of my mind.

I release you from the pain of my past, the dysfunction of my demon-mind, and the need to fix me.

I release you from the part of me that felt sinful, rejected, needy and alone.

I release you from having to heal me to make the us, the you and me, be a complete partnership of truth and love.

Today, I honor you.

I honor the agreements we have made, the truths we have spoken, and the intimate depth of our connection.

I honor the path you and I must walk, whether that path is walked separately or with our hands joined.

I honor the footsteps you have left for me to follow, the shelter you have built for when the storms rise above the mountains, and the radiant light you have shed in the dark corners of my mind.

I honor you for the song within me that sings your name, for the way I feel in each and every cell, and the union of spirit and flesh that can only call your name.

Today, I cherish you.

I cherish the moment you took a chance on me, and the way you saved the very best for last.

I cherish the prose you have cast out into the world. Such truth inspires this man to a higher place; a summit he once had only heard of in a dream.

I cherish the thoughts of you that resound in echoes of my beating heart.

Today, I promise you.

I promise you nothing but the purity of truth that shines in our connection.

I promise to honor our agreements to the best of my ability, and to trust you as the loving heart I’ve fallen for.

I promise to seek the liberation of our selves in the commitment that we’ve made, and to heal any remaining wounds that may bind us in a cage not of our own making.

Today, I love you.

I love you just like I loved you yesterday, and am certain I will love you tomorrow.

I love you not just for all your obvious perfections, but also for all those flaws you think exist, and how perfect I see all of those as being.

I love you because I have no choice and because even if I did, you would still be the easiest choice I’ve ever made.

Today, I celebrate the woman who walked into my life with an intention, but not a plan. I celebrate the soul who caresses my own with ease, and who has challenged me to heights I once feared with great ferocity. Today, I hold you close in body and in heart, knowing this vow was as natural as my breath, and as certain as the rain that beats just outside our bedroom door.

Happy anniversary my beloved, and thank you for knowing the truth of who we were even before I would admit it. Thank you for showing me a way of courage to take a chance on what felt so perfect yet scared me beyond belief. Thank you for rewarding that courage with this divine love, the pureness of this truth, and the great moments we have shared in both.

I love you.

~TG