Today is a special day – a day that feels like it should be filled with laughter, hugs, and the smell of birthday cake candles burning down far too fast. But instead of being in Sweden celebrating my husband’s birthday with him, I’m here in the United States, waiting for the bureaucratic stars to align so I can finally hold my Swedish resident permit in hand.
It’s a waiting game, one I knew would test my patience. But on days like today, when my heart feels stretched across continents, it’s especially hard.
I can picture him now, probably brushing off the importance of his birthday with his usual nonchalant charm. “It’s just another day,” he’d say, but I know better. He secretly loves the fuss – the kind of fuss I wish I could create for him in person. Instead, I’m making do with texts, calls, and sending my love across time zones, hoping it’s enough to bridge the distance.
Being apart on his birthday isn’t easy, but it reminds me why I’m waiting in the first place. Love: real, deep, can’t-live-without-it love -is worth the hard moments. Every form I fill out, every email I refresh obsessively, every day I count down brings me closer to building our life together in Sweden.
Still, the longing feels sharper today. I miss his laugh, his warm hugs, the way he makes even the most ordinary days feel like a celebration. I miss how he sneaks a forkful of cake before the candles are blown out and pretends it wasn’t him. I even miss the little things I never thought I’d notice, like the sound of him rummaging through the kitchen looking for his favorite snacks. Cheese Doodles, anyone?
To my husband: Happy Birthday. I hope you know that even from halfway across the world, you’re still the center of my universe. I wish I could be there to make your day unforgettable, but for now, this will have to do.
And next year? Next year, I’ll be there. No more waiting, no more oceans or permits keeping us apart. I’ll bake the cake myself (it definitely won’t be perfect, but it’ll be made with love), light the candles, and sing an off key “Grattis på födelsedagen” just for you.
Until then, my heart is with you, today and every day. Thank you for being patient, for being strong, and for being mine. Soon, we’ll celebrate every birthday together, and this waiting will be just a memory we’ll look back on and smile.
Swedish Wanderlust 