So many of you sent in emails on why you fell in love with your spouse and how they make your life better.  Here are only a few of those loving messages: 

Janet:
I started thinking back fifty-five years as to the reasons I fell in love with my sweetie.  One of the things I remember is how he smelled.  Between his freshly ironed shirt and only a hint of after shave (Old Spice), he just smelled so clean and fresh. (Could it have been his pheromones?) Even across the room full of people, I was drawn to him - his face, his posture - and that is still true today. Even with all the years and the ups and downs of married life, if I did not know him, I would still be drawn to him in a room full of people. He is always kind, to me and others. He is not perfect for sure and neither am I, but I wouldn't trade him for anything. You frequently talk about choosing wisely and treating kindly and that is so true. Now that we are older my health frequently requires his help and he is always there for me. So keep stressing kindness it will take you through all the tough times of marriage. He is definitely my Man!

Kim:
I fell in love with my sweetie because of his selfless heart.  He is by far a real man, but not perfect by any means and no one is.  But when all is said and done, it is his heart that really matters to me.

 
Connie:
What attracted me to my honey was is beautiful artistic hands, his full lips and perfect/clean/well taken care of teeth, his shyness, his intelligence, and the sexiest eyes I have ever seen. We will be married for 41 years as of March 29th. Everything that made me notice him in 1970 still makes me smile and reach for him now. I knew the first time I saw him, he was my soul mate. I followed him from Missouri to New Mexico against my father's wishes when I was 20 years old and have "no" regrets

Donna:
I've been married for 18 years and have owned my own business for over 20. I'm in the emergency management field and I routinely go to the big disasters (yes Oklahoma and World Trade Centre) to help put businesses and victims back together. My conference teaching schedule is hectic and through all of this my husband has been my rock of support.

I can think of all the clichés one can use to describe what a great spouse does, but simply put: My husband gets it. He knows me, he knows my work, and gets my type "A" personality. Best of all, when I need a shot of marriage reality, he ramps up his kind and caring persona to give me a double dose of type "A" to settle me down. Who could ask for a greater gift?

Coleen:
My first high school sweetheart died when I was sixteen. He told me, it's not enough to marry someone you can live with but marry someone you can't live without! So  when things get a little rough I reflect on the reasons why I chose my husband and am so thankful for the great man he is.
 
Some of the greatest qualities of my sweetheart are his sense of humor, his intelligence in a manly way, his love for children (yes, it was obvious when we were dating), and his respect/shyness of not showing physical affection in public (yes, this was a big one). My most memorable reason was the first time he said "I love you." It must have been a long time into dating because when he said it, I knew he meant it!

The list is longer but I hope my children will be able to find a spouse as perfect as their Dad.

Jeannette:
I fell in love with my sweetie because he was willing to help me sort through the issues in my life resulting from problems in childhood. He was willing to talk and process thoughts and feelings, night after night after night. And of course, his issues surfaced as well and he was able and willing to take a look at those too. Most of all, he was willing to change and encouraged me to do the same. We have been together for 34 years now! We don't have a lot of money, we were smart enough to pay our house off, we are enjoying life together, and we laugh and have fun every day.