My beloved wife is only occasionally a character on this here blog, but she is the #1 figure in my life. She’s certainly worthy of more column inches. It’s just too psychologically draining for me to calculate what portion of our married life is fair game for the blog. Even so, she pointed out a few months ago that she’s deserving of a bloggy tribute, given how essential her tolerance is to its ongoing existence.

Today is our 9th wedding anniversary, and she’s getting her wish. In honor of the occasion, here is my top-nine list of wonderful things about my superior half :

9. She’s a woman who feels she deserves a tribute–and says so. I can totally live by those rules.
8. She has the perfect blend of an infinitely kind heart and a bloodthirsty sense of humor. There’s never a need to be embarrassed or ashamed in her midst.
7. The right song on the radio, especially the right cheesy 80’s song, will trigger unbridled exuberance and loud singing. Sometimes a happy dance. Life is made more worth the living for being the in midst of joy.
6. This is really lame, but I’m going to acknowledge my wife for housework. I’m on the confessional here. I need to loudly proclaim my gratitude. I hate doing laundry, and I almost never have to do it. I’m lame. I suck. I know. The tradeoff is that I’m the cook of the house, and she likes good food but doesn’t enjoy cooking. To be honest, though, I’m making out better on the deal. And yet, like magic, when I open the closet in the morning, she-who-makes-all-things-better has filled it. So it may be totally lame to admit that one of the things you love about your wife is that she does your laundry. But you gotta understand– I REALLY hate doing laundry.
5. She’s one damn fine mother. She could give a clinic.
4. My wife smooths out my rough edges. Grown ups love her, children love her, animals love her. Without her, I wouldn’t have much of a social life. With her, I go places all the time and find myself among warm and supportive people. The blessing of her company is compounded by the other dear people she has brought into my life.
3. Have I mentioned her remarkable beauty yet? Total babe.
2. When we married, our families truly joined. Partially, our parents deserve the credit for going along with the plan for joint holidays and other timeshares. But I will always remember that my wife first met my family when my brother was going in to the hospital for a major surgery. And it means the world to me how kind and loving she was to my mother. My mother loved her almost as much as I do.
1. When I had my first interview with the priest who would eventually marry us, he asked me what I most loved about my fiancee. My answer then is my answer today. My wife is astoundingly loyal. Her friends know, as I do, that her love is unconditional and absolute. She is true blue. I have never once had reason, not even for a second, to doubt her feelings for me. It is a great comfort to face the challenges of life knowing that person by your side will go with you no matter what.

I could never be anything but grateful for my good fortune.