Today our family celebrates a special day in the life of a special person. Happy birthday, Sunny!

This is what I wrote about Sunny for her birthday last year:

She pursues goodness and exudes quiet strength.

In her love, she hopes all things.

She is unwavering in her commitments and gracious in her ways.

She is joyful and playful; a compassionate teacher and a steadfast encourager; a faithful friend, a tender mother, and a very, very, very patient wife. (She’s still waiting on that new couch! Haha!)

In short, she is the best person I’ve ever known and her loving presence makes me a better man.

Two things:

1. I finally broke down and got her that couch.
2. The past twelve months have done nothing to change my opinion. She’s still the best person I’ve ever known.

Several years ago, I figured out that Sunny’s quintessential quality was her goodness. I’ve never known anyone who wants to do the right thing more consistently or more completely. She pursues goodness at every turn and this makes her the conduit of God’s goodness in the lives of so many people: her family, her students, her friends, and me. If I only had three words to describe her, I think I’d say, “She seeks goodness.” This is the truest thing I can say about Sunny.

But of course, we’re far more than any one quality, no matter how “quintessential” we might deem it to be. And such is the case for the woman I love. Sunny is also exceedingly joyful. Resiliently joyful. True joy is unwavering in any set of circumstances and such is the case with Sunny’s joy. Even as she has faced down the inevitable storm clouds of life, she remains steadfast and resolute in her joy. This is another essential facet of her character. Sunny came into my life in a time of personal darkness for me; we started dating a little more than a year after my mother died. And her joy helped me smile again. Contagiously joyful. “She seeks goodness…and joy.”

This is my favorite picture of us, taken by a friend in 2013. Seriously, I could look at this picture forever. I can’t remember what I said that made her laugh, but I know exactly what this picture sounds like. I know the laughter that follows when Sunny gets really tickled like this, tears welling up in her eyes. And it’s the sound of pure joy to me.

Sunny, today we celebrate and cherish you. I am most thankful for the fruit of God’s Spirit in you, particularly your goodness and your joy. These have made all the difference in the lives of your loved ones.

Happy birthday, Sunny!