On our wedding day in 1998, we stepped onto the dance floor, hand in hand, as "I Pledge My Love to You" by Peaches and Herb began to play. It might have seemed like an unusual choice for a young and vibrant couple in the '90s—after all, the song came out in 1979—but for me, it was always the one. Since I was about fifteen, that song held a special place in my heart. The words, the promise… they carried an emotional pull I couldn’t ignore. It captured everything I believed love should be. The idea of pledging my love and making a forever vow to the man I loved felt like it was expressed so well in that song. The only thing was... how could I have known that my forever wouldn’t be quite that long?

So we danced…not just on our wedding day, but every day after. We danced through life’s challenges. In the good times and bad. And trust me, we had plenty of bad. But all those moments, especially the ones that tested us, became the ingredients that made our bond unshakable. His spice and mine made the perfect mix. A partnership. A friendship. A love that was never boring or dull. It was always full of flavor.

I hold on to those dances now with as much love as I did the first time. Every step we took together. Every movement. The fluid rhythm of our union still carries me-even now, when all the dancing has stopped.

So I dedicate this page… and my new beginning… to my husband. The man who danced his way into my heart and who danced until his final breath.

The Dance

I love you …. forever.

My quiet love with
a beautiful smile

As I reflect back over our years, I thank you with all my heart for loving me—for loving us. Your patience—so quiet, gentle, and subtle. It was the first of many funny things, but I remember you knew I was the one when you received a wrapped box of light bulbs. It was repeatedly confirmed for me that you were my person in tough times. You showed up for my grandmother, my mother, your mother, all our children, and me! You showed up for us, putting pride aside. That takes a big man—a gentleman.

Thank you for the ordinary of everyday.9///
“How was your day today?” I’d ask.
“Another day, another dollar,” you’d reply.

Thank you for the extraordinary days—Hawaii, Vegas, and the Caribbean, to name a few. Thank you for building our safe space, our home, our family. Thank you for building and being our foundation, our rock, and our cornerstone in this world.

Thank you, Honeybear, for your vulnerability and heart—that I miss now and forever.