my hero

While I am very lucky to consider many people in my life as inspiring, 

my husband though, is hands down, my hero. 

He is one of the smartest, kindest, and bravest men I know.

But not brave in the traditional sense.

I mean, he hasn't fought in a war or anything.

Acually, he once took off when we were camping because a dog 

was running quickly toward us.  He came back for me

to see if I was okay after he realized he what he had done though. 

I wasn't afraid or anything (even though maybe I should have been)
so I wasn't that upset about it. 

But brave in that he lives the life he wants to live

despite society's standards. 

It's a running joke in his family that husband goes through phases. 

And he doesn't do anything in moderation. 

Moderation does not exist in his vocabulary.  Seriously.

I am pretty sure if you looked up "go big or go home" in the dictionary

you'd see a picture of him next to it.

Some of his "phases" include:

-quitting a good paying job to learn how to build cob houses in Oregon for 6 weeks. 

-train for a marathon, running before and after work, to get in the mileage leading him to 

becoming burnt out and not run but still run the damn thing after 

not running for 2 months.  

-training, mornings and nights again, for triathlons

-going back to school to become a Massage Therapist.  His undergrad was in IST.  

-juice fasting for 47 days.  

-driving down to the Washington, DC area to buy a 1985 Mercedes

and converting it to run on veggie oil. 

-traveling, by himself might I add, down to Peru to spend 10 days puking and

shitting his brains while taking Ayahuasca. 

Since I have known him, he has always beat to his own drum.

But that is why I love him. 

It is so much easier to succumb to societies standards. 

But it takes, in my opinion, great strength and bravery to

stand up to those standards and become the person you feel most comfortable being.

He has finally created a life for himself where
he feels he is making a difference.
No longer sitting behind a desk in a cubicle mindlessly
typing on a computer for "the man" but helping others
to relax or relieve pain.
He comes home with a smile on his face
and excitedly tells me some of the most amazing
stories of the lives of the people he meets.
And that is so refreshing to see.

Even though I often poke fun and tease him,
he is someone I aspire to be like every day of my life.
He is my absolute best friend and I feel very
lucky to be the one he chose to spend the
rest of his life with.