30 years ago today William Burton—the love of my life—was born.
It was the adventurous side that drew me in, the fearlessness. He’d climb to the top of the tree if he could, jump from the highest cliff. And he did. He rode his bike barefoot, effortlessly sailed down a diamond-side mountain full speed ahead, no looking back. He would only say I love you if he meant it and felt it in that specific moment.
He lives only by truth (yes, that can get him into trouble). When he feels something, he allows himself to feel it fully and completely, digging deeper into the depths within himself and those around him. His highs are some of the highest I’ve ever seen—he’s like climbing to the top of an intricately rocky Virginia mountain and seeing the entire valley below you once you reach the top, with the cool wind patting you on the back.
when I straightened his hair...
I play harder and love harder because of him. I fight harder because of him. Naturally, I fly higher because of him. He would never accept this, but a lot of me thinks I even started this amazingly invigorating business half because I wanted him to be proud of me.
And he is.
when we saved a bird.
Now he’s with me nearly everyday, forcing himself to learn new things because he believes in something so hard. With the help of some amazing friends, he built every structure you see in the new shop. What’s more, he taught himself how to do all of it. Smart, so darn smart.
chubby bunnies.
He’s one of the most talented piano players I’ve ever met and his voice will bring you back home. Whether with comedy or tragedy, on stage, he will make you cry. He’s a funny, witty, unapologetically unencumbered personality.
19 & 20 ...in Greece.
I feel like he’s done so much already and at the same time…he’s just getting started. I mean that, I can’t wait to see what else this life holds for him, for us.
He’s one of the most determined, ambitious, hard-working people I’ve ever met in my life. His spirit is infectious, and his smile/laugh combo will make you feel, in one swift moment, like you’re the only person alive.
a dried up riverbed.
When we listen to music together, the floors fall out and we float—nothing else matters. When he tells me he’s proud of me, that I’m beautiful, intelligent, whatever…the world could end right there and everything would be okay.
I’m so excited for who he is and I’m so excited for where he’s going.
music.
We are so great apart, I know it. But together, together, we’re like buttered toast and grandma’s strawberry jam, we’re like training wheels and a brand new baby bike, we’re like bees and honey, we’re like wildflowers and their fields, we’re like the bass and the piano, tears and a cheek, lips meeting, a lion and his mane, a perfect balance of harmony and dissonance.
true loves.
You amaze and inspire me.
Cheers to your last 30 years. And Here’s to your next decade and the next and the next…!!
I mean, right??
Happy birthday to my favorite of all time.
your~bets
***Song of the Moment: Leather & Lace, by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley***
