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When I met my husband, I thought I had found love so raw, so deep, and so genuine that I would never fall in love again.

I was wrong.

When he cried when he met our first-born and cut his umbilical cord—I fell in love again.

When I was covered in milk stains, pumping on one side and nursing on the other unshowered and in the same pants I had worn all week, he told me I was beautiful—I fell in love again.

When he stayed up all night building the master LEGO set on Christmas Eve—I fell in love again.

When there was no heartbeat on the ultrasound, and he knew no words could take the pain away, so he just hugged me tight—I fell in love again.

When I woke up and noticed his side of the bed still made and I found him downstairs making the best Easter egg hunt ever—I fell in love again.

When I was nine months pregnant and he painted my toenails for me—I fell in love again.

When I forgot about my contractions because he had me laughing so hard in the delivery room with our second-born—I fell in love again.

When he remembered to move that darn elf every night in December—I fell in love again.

When he watched Love Actually with me for the fifth time—I fell in love again.

When the whole house was sick and he was on toilet duty—I fell in love again.

When he wouldn’t leave my side when our youngest was in distress and prayed for both of us and asked the doctors a million questions—I fell in love again.

When I found him sleeping on the floor next to the crib—I fell in love again.

When he taught our boys that chivalry matters and that you should still hold the door for people even if they can open the door themselves—I fell in love again.

When he worked 30-hours of overtime in two weeks so we could afford a family vacation—I fell in love again.

When he rode the roller coaster three times even though he has motion sickness, because it made the boys happy—I fell in love again.

When I find another wrinkle or another grey hair, he tells me I get prettier with age—I fall in love again.

Some say love is blind. I disagree. To know true love is to go in eyes wide open and see each other wholly and completely with love and acceptance. Encouragement and patience. True love is what happens when we are at our worst and it helps us see the light.

True love is about falling in love again, every day.

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Andrea Smolin

Andrea is a special education teacher in Virginia Beach, wife to a police officer, and mommy to three wild and amazing little men. She is passionate about working hard, equality, and living a healthy life. She is a lover of all things- especially when they involve caffeine and wine. Her work has been featured through Her View from Home, Scary Mommy-It’s Personal, Reader's Digest, Red Mill Living, Pregnancy Corner, Kindness Matters, and Love What Matters. When she isn't dreaming of saving the world, she is chasing after her three boys. Follow her on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mommyto3littlemen/ or on Twitter @Andreapsmolin

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