I love this man...

This one. I don't mean the one I fell in love with, the one I kissed at the altar on our wedding day, the one whose arms were the first to hold our son, the one I've woken up next to every morning for so many years I'm completely broken of the habit of trying to sleep in the middle of the bed. Although I love him as well.

I mean the man who lost most of his ability to produce language but who never forgot how to tell me he loved me. The man who has started eating salad regularly to make sure he never has this problem again. The man who spends hours a day trying to read even though it's so hard for him it's no longer enjoyable. The man who does whatever he can to make my day easier in whatever way he can. The man who still cuddles his children every night before bed. The man who attempts to look over our son's homework even though he most often has to hand it over to me to check. The man who never stops trying, never stops believing, and never gives up.

The J.J. I knew is gone forever, since even if he makes a full recovery, this experience will have changed him. But it's changed me too. And this new Erin is ready to love the new J.J. completely. Whoever he is, I know some things won't change. That gentle soul is still the soul of my best friend.

Just an epiphany I had to share...:)