The moment I knew.

Everyone always wants to know when you discovered that your spouse was “the one.” After much thinking, I realized that I really could not pinpoint just one moment. At first it made me a little sad, and then I just gave up.

Then, this morning, there I am driving to work when I realized: That was it. The moment when I knew Chuck was the one.

During my four years of college, I finished a major, a minor, an honors degree, and I studied abroad. In that time I worked one job that was nearly full time, and had an internship that was also nearly full time. My home, school, job, and internship were all in different directions, and a normal day involved all four.

If it was a day that I got to see Chuck, he was in another direction.

College was a blast, but it was also exhausting. Most of the really busy days, I would end up with Chuck.

I forget the specifics of this one day, but I was beyond tired. Chuck had homework to do, so I was going to just sit and read something for school. He was sitting at his desk, and I was propped up. I never understood how people could fall asleep reading, but that night I did.

Next thing I know, my cell phone alarm is going off. I am laying in a bright room, and my glasses are missing. I panic anytime my glasses are missing, but as I started reaching coherence, I realized that I was in the same place I was four hours ago… but now the clock now said 1 a.m.

Realizing that I had fallen asleep, Chuck had taken the book from my lap and the glasses from my face. There they were on the table next to me. My glasses were neatly folded, and there was a piece of paper marking where I had left off in my book. Both items had been placed neatly beside my cell phone—which was going off because Chuck had also set the alarm.

That moment is just one of a million stories I could tell you illustrating the fact that my husband is easily the most considerate person, friend, and spouse.

In fact, the reason it was so hard to recall just one moment when I knew Chuck was “the one” is because he gives me another reason every day.

The glasses story is a perfect example, though. We all define “husband” and “wife” differently, making it hard to quantify when you say something like “I have the best husband!” Depending on who you are, that could mean he always takes out the trash, or he sends me flowers, or any number of attributes… but none of those things actually matter like this does:

My husband is my best friend.

Not in the way that you call your best girlfriend your best friend, but in the way that I have this one person who would literally do anything for me—even though I rarely deserve it. :)

There are no conditions. Whether “anything” means changing our life plan tomorrow, or just making sure that my glasses are safe, and that I keep my place in my book.

On that day, it was just the glasses and the book… and that was the moment I knew.