A To Z - Renee

When it comes to the R post, I knew there would be only one topic I could choose - that of my wife Renee.  My wife is after all, the reason I am able to do all the things that I do.  She is one of the strongest women I know, and she has had to overcome many obstacles in her life.

Not too long after she was born, Renee's biological father left her mother.  Luckily her mother met a decent guy who became Renee's true Dad, but the impact of the situation was in the back of Renee's mind for years.  When Renee was only 9, she got hit by a car and was in a full body cast for a long time.  Because of that event, she had multiple surgeries on both legs and cold weather still makes her legs ache at times.   Her parents both worked two jobs, so Renee had to help parent her younger siblings from a very early age.  In fact, she probably missed out on what most people would call a normal childhood.   Later, she met this truly geeky guy who called her all the time and somehow managed to coax her to marry him (for which he is ever thankful).  These days, Renee struggles with illness but despite her own situation, she continues to worry that she isn't doing enough for those around her.

You see, Renee has a heart that is ten times the size of most normal people (figuratively, that is).  She tries to give everything she has to all the people around her, even when doing so makes her more sick.  She is just a caring person, and she doesn't seem to have a way to turn it off.  It's sometimes a struggle to keep her from giving too much of herself, to remind her to give herself rest.  But despite the fact that she sometimes does too much, you have to admire how much love she has for everyone around her.  Every person in her life knows that Renee cares, and they know they could depend on her no matter what condition she might be in.  This is her best quality, even though it sometimes comes with a cost to her health.  It is also one of the strongest reasons I admire and love her, because I sometimes I wish I had that same capacity for giving.

After almost 19 years of marriage, she is still the most beautiful woman to me.  She is a wonderful mother to our sons, providing an indefinable quality that my parenting skills lack.   She has an unending well of empathy to temper my stern moments.   She reminds me that it's okay sometimes to just relax and let kids be kids (even if one of those "kids" is me).  And she constantly makes me smile and laugh, particularly when I need it the most.  I sometimes worry that I don't provide her with what she deserves from a decent husband, but I will hang on to her as long as she'll let me.

Renee my love, this  post is dedicated to you.  I remain your loving and adoring husband for as long as you are willing to put up with me.