I know that this is hindsight.
But here goes:-
Be honest. Be open. Don't try and hide your feelings. Tell her that you think she is the most beautiful creature that has ever existed-because she is. Tell her that she is amazing. Tell her why you think she is amazing. Tell her every amazing thing about her to her. Buy her things, even if you don't like those things but she does. Buy her flowers even if you think that they are a waste of money-if she likes them, then they are not a waste of money.
Always encourage her. Don't put her down-EVER. Support her. Help her. If you need help, tell her. She may want to better herself to help you-don't have a go at her. If she does something for you, thank her. Comfort her when she is feeling low. Give her advice. Listen to her advice. Hold her when she is sad. Talk to her. Tell her that everything will be OK. Do whatever is possible to make everything OK. If you upset her, then apologise. Don't leave it like it doesn't matter. Apologise and make sure that she is OK. Talk about things. Anything. Everything. Just talk. If she cries, be there to wipe away her tears.
Be happy when she is happy.
Cook for her. If she wants to help, let her help. If she doesn't then that is OK. Let her cook for you. Appreciate it. You might not like the taste, but appreciate it anyway-she cooked for you! Use candles. Get ones she likes.
If she wants to go dancing, take her dancing-even if you can't dance at all. Take her.
Listen to music together. Watch movies and TV shows. Go places. Anywhere that she likes or that you think she will genuinely enjoy.
Make her feel involved. Don't make her feel worthless-She is not worthless. She is not useless. Make her feel valued. Make her feel like she is the most valuable person in the world.
She will like things that you don't like. That is OK. Talk to her about the things that she likes. Why she likes them. How do they make her feel? Talk to her about her feelings. Her thoughts. Her emotions.
Talk to her about the future. How you are going to make it the best future you possible for you both. The past doesn't matter. The past made her the beatiful person that she is now. None of the bad things that she did in the past matter now though. Focus on your lives going forward.
Make love to her. Delicately. Passionately. Hold her hand. Cuddle her. As much as possible. Tell her you love her. Everyday. All the time.
Happy Birthday to Her.
