My Funny Valentine

Ten years ago, I decided to take one more chance on love.
Our first date was supposed to be Valentine's Day. Well that's not exactly true. Our first date was supposed to be New Year's Eve.
When Scott eventually got around to taking me out, it was about four days after a promised date on Valentine's Day. I was not too impressed.
But I liked him. I always like him over the 30 years we bumped into each other at the press club. For 30 years, we were each married to other people and rarely spoke to each other. But when we did, he made me smile.
I always thought he was nice, funny, handsome.
As it turned out he was so much more than that.
Over the last ten years, Scott has been the rock of my family. He took over the father role when my ex-husband went AWOL on his parental duties, driving Marissa and her friends to basketball games in far flung cities, helping Stef up to bed after his dates with tequila, picking up Nick at whatever shelter he was frequenting, talking a vice-principal into letting the boys return to high school, making huge meals for a gaggle of teenagers who called our home "the bus stop" and picking up garbage all over the house left by the assembly he called our "raccoons".
He held me close during the panic attack years, put up with me through menopause, picked me up from my job every day, drove me home after long nights at the Georgetown and listened to my problems when most guys would have shown me the hand.
He has helped me through some difficult times: court dates with my ex-husband, my failure to launch various careers, the death of two beloved pets. He proved to be enormously gifted at balancing the chequing account and paying bills when there was no money. And he was willing to take any job just to support us.
He has performed all these tasks and more with good humor and undying loyalty.
Scott might not be rich in the coins of our realm, but he has wealth in spirit, in love and in life.
He is a role model for my sons who learned how to treat a woman by watching his example.
He also showed my daughter that there are men out there who treat women with respect and unconditional loyalty. He did that by showing a couple of her dates the door.
Scott was well raised by Margaret and Warner.
He is a good man.
A great husband.
A wonderful stepdad.
And a terrific grandfather.
Oh yes, and father of pugs and retrievers.
On this Valentine's Day, I am proud to say he is my husband.
The chance I took paid off.
Thanks for a great ten years.