"I can't buy you the moon." He said. 

I should be heartbroken. But after 8 years of marriage and 11 years together my heart is so full that tears are running down my face. 

There is nothing more humbling then receiving his unconditional love. The type of love that has him seeing your current and future potential and has him wanting to see you through all stages of your growth for any and every situation. 

There is nothing more gratifying than sitting as his words of love wash over you. The promises, the encouragement, the joy. The rise and fall of emotion as he describes how it is to love you and to be loved by you. 

It's like he is saying his vows all over again, but I realized it was for the third time. Once when he decided to be my man, another when he married me and again in these early morning hours. It's just the two of us exhausted from our day of kids and work. He's tired, but he wanted me to know. 

What is amazing, is when a man makes promises to himself about you. About your peace and well being, about your character and strength, about what he wants to do for you because of all the potential he saw in your eyes and in my case; my smile too. And he made those promises when he didn't have to. And he has kept those promises no matter how much or how little he has had in his own pocket. 

So he couldn't buy me the moon he said.

"But I can damn sure give it to you piece by piece."

So I am not heartbroken. All those pieces of the moon (the encouragement, love, tough love, laughter, solace. etc etc etc) have made me even more of a woman than when he met me 11 years ago. Even better then the wife he took 8 years ago. Because he is my partner, my rock, my best friend and the love of my life.

And I know he is even more of a man and husband after all of our years together because we have been exchanging these pieces for over a decade, growing little by little to shine for the rest of time. 

Photography by Elanem