My Future Husband

Every once in awhile I'll get a manila envelope in my mailbox, sent by my mother. It's usually some kind of bill or student loan sent to the wrong address, so this time, I waited about a day before actually opening it. Enclosed was a small note from my mom, "Hi, I came across  locked book-safe and thought it was Grandma Best's so I pried it open. This is what I found and I didn't know who wrote it. Sorry I opened it, but you and Chuck will get a kick out of reading it."

College Kaity circa April 2008

She was referring to the small, card-sized envelope that was also enclosed. Labeled on the front with "My Future Husband."

On April 18, 2008, while a sophomore in college, shortly before my 20th birthday and more than two years before I would meet him, I wrote a letter to Chuck...

To my future husband,

I'm 19 years old, (20 in a week!) and am completely in love with my life. I love the person I've become and when the time comes for us to get serious, I pray that you appreciate me just as much. So on this day, I've decided to give you some insight into what my expectations are, because let's face it, if I trust you enough to give you this, you know by now that I won't settle for less that what I truly deserve. So here are your guidelines: 

1. You must love Jesus with all your heart and promise me that together we can hold each other accountable and continue to grow in our faith.

2. You have to promise me that no matter how tough things get, to remember how in love we once were and promise to never resort to divorce.

3. You have to love sports and be much more knowledgeable than me and patient enough to teach me what I don't know.

4. You have to tolerate my taste in music and have good taste yourself. You don't have to like country, but you have to promise not to rag on me for liking it.

NYE 2013

5. I don't expect you to be obnoxiously romantic, but I do require some spontaneity and the desire to always be up for something new.

6. You have to be as eager as I am to constantly learn something new.

7. You have to understand my sense of humor and have a little sarcastic side of your own.

8. You have to be willing to travel to new places and experience entirely new cultures.

9. You have to promise to love me- fat or skinny, but also do your best to motivate me to stay in shape, because Lord knows it's a two-person job!

10. I don't care what you do career-wise but you do have to have some ambition and goals for your life.

11. You have to promise to view me as an equal and never as a subordinate. I hope you know by now that I can't do the whole "housewife" thing.

I guess that's it. Hopefully you're not running scared. Just know that if I gave this to you, you're the first man in my life that I've been able to trust and I'm more in love with you than you could even imagine. You truly are the man of my dreams and I look forward to a lifetime of happiness with you.

Yours forever,

Kaitlyn Michelle Best

(P.s. Don't ever call me that! My name's Kaity ;)

Needless to say, Chuck loved reading this. He may have even suggested that we frame it. What blew my mind about it was that not only does Chuck meet all of my "criteria" laid out two and a half years before we ever met, but he surpasses it. Even my dream guy couldn't compare to the guy laying next to me as I type this. He is everything I have ever wanted and more ♥