Lee Greenwood - I.O.U. (K. Chater, A. Roberts) ~ Erwin Lazaro 107

I love my wife with all of my heart multiplied by infinity … and then some more.  I feel the same way about the three children we share, of course.  That’s the thing about unconditional love.  No limits, as it should be, through good times and through not so good times.  When love is real and true, no questions arise about matters of the heart.  Even so, love needs nurturing in order to grow.  All relationships require nurturing and in time, love makes certain that when answers are needed, those answers come to light.  Then again, some matters don’t require answers and love is all that matters.  It’s the journey together that matters most.  Wisdom is shared by the comfort of our unconditional love and that wisdom grows through our movement in the same direction.  We are truly Blessed.

This was my birthday week.  By the books, I’m another year older.  I’m feeling it too lol.  I was born in the Philippines.  The current time in the Philippines is sixteen hours ahead of the time zone where I reside.  So, I actually have the benefit of celebrating a “Filipino Birthday” and an “American Birthday”.  That’s right!  I celebrate TWO birthdays EVERY year! =D Lucky ME!  Yes, I am spoiled.  Every year, my dad calls me up and wishes me a “Happy Filipino Birthday”!  The next morning, my dad calls me up and wishes me a “Happy American Birthday”!  I love it!  My wife was born in Honolulu and our three children were born in the U.S., as well.  They’re a little perturbed that they only celebrate one birthday every year.  I don’t flaunt it though.  I just sympathize. ;)

Anyway, even though I’m so lucky to celebrate two birthdays every year, I celebrate my birthday for the whole week around my birthday.  My wife works so hard to make certain that she bakes for me.  I have a sweet tooth, so this year she baked me the most delicious triple chocolate butterscotch chip cookies (48 cookies).  Those were gone in two days.  Oink!  Oink!  Then, she made a New York style cheesecake with graham cracker crust and strawberry compote made with whole strawberries.  Yes, I’m in Heaven … on earth.  Yes, I’m spoiled.

The reality is that I’m thankful for every breath I take.  I’m thankful for every Blessing in my life; great and small; past, present and future; accounted for and unaccounted for.  I hold my wife and tell her I love her and that she is the most beautiful woman in the world.  Almost every day, I thank my wife for spoiling our family with everything that she does for us.  Once, every other day, I stop to tell my wife that I’m the Luckiest.  The reality is that I owe her.  As I announced during our wedding reception, in front of all of our guests, on that Blessed day on Saturday, May 27, 2000, “I don’t deserve my wife, but I will spend the rest of my life trying”.

I.O.U., my love … I’ll spend the rest of my life giving everything I am to you.

From Wikipedia:
"I.O.U" is a 1983 single written by Kerry Chater and Austin Roberts and performed by Lee Greenwood.  It was the first single from his 1983 album, Somebody's Gonna Love You.  The single peaked at #6 on the U.S. country charts and #4 in Canada.  It also peaked at #4 on the U.S. adult contemporary charts.  Other than "God Bless the USA", it is Greenwood's biggest crossover hit, peaking at #53 on the Billboard Hot 100.