image: ‘The Greatest’ and the future/present Mrs. Ali
(© Steve Schapiro)

Dear __________,

I will say it.

I never thought I’d see the day. But . . .

I’ll say it.

I love you.

There. It’s out. The caged bird. The caged word. No more.

No longer tethered to the base of my inner sternum. No longer trapped in the basement of my vocal chords. No longer veiled by my deceitful eyes.

A man should never tell a woman he loves her. Ever. The moment the words are given oxygen, the woman becomes licensed–to ill. She becomes Mistress of the Universe. His.

The only woman in the world that can be told such a compelling revelation is Mrs. Muhammad Ali.

Ms. Lonnie can be, has been, told several thousand times those three brief words by The Greatest–if by his eyes alone. How do I know? I don’t.

But life has told me so. Life, the most meaningful part of life, has assured me . . . Ms. Lonnie knows, she’s been told. Look in her eyes.

I’m no Ali. I realize that. But, I swear, my emotional intelligence, my raw, god-given instincts tell me there’s Lonnie in you.

Perhaps I’m selling myself too short. Maybe I’m selling you too high.

But, I swear, there’s something in you, woman, telling me I can say it–and be the better for it. I won’t lose for revealing my heart. Every man, somewhere deep within him, is afraid to lose to his true feelings. Because, unlike any other living, breathing creature on this earth, a woman has the innate power to tragically hurt.

And to heal.

Ms. Lonnie chose healing. In fact ‘healing’ chose her in which to dwell from her very birth.

This isn’t idolatry on my part. My grandfather told me when I was still a green boy, “People are human. Watch. Learn. No pedestals. But learn.”

The Thanksgiving dinner you prepared was beyond magnificent. The labor means even more. I thank you. God, woman, I thank you so very much.

My Kaiser health plan hadn’t yet kicked in and strep throat felt like the closest to death I’d ever come. You lied that it was you and got the antibiotics prescription. I thank you. God, woman, I thank you so very much.

You came to my reading . . . only the third person in the entire ballroom. And didn’t leave until the end. Because you believed.

I thank you. So very much.

I never thought I’d say it. Never thought I’d see this day.

But hear me. I’m gonna say this with everything in me.

As my god bears witness.

I love you.

And there ain’t nothing you can do about it.

A blessed Thanksgiving. Happy Pamper-Her-Friday, my Love.

Forever,
Rg2

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Giving thanks. Love. Health. Romance.

© 2013 Pamper-Her-Friday by Rg2®