A piece titled You May Want to Marry My husband was published in the New York Times Modern love column on March 3, 2017. It was written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, who finished it 10 days before her death on March 13. What is remarkable about this piece is not that she wrote it so close to her death—it is the topic and how she delves into it that will leave every reader touched and a bit haunted.
Amy KR was an author of 28 children’s books, a mother of three, and wife to Jason Rosenthal for 27 years. She was very happily married to a man she fell in love with on their first (blind date.) Though they had already had many years and 3 kids together, they were looking forward to the next 27, but cancer changed all of that.
This remarkable woman was facing her imminent death, yet it was very important to her to write this piece in the hope it would help her spouse find both acceptance of her death and new love eventually. In it Ms. Krouse Rosenthal shares the many wonderful qualities her husband possesses, his physical attractiveness, likability, that he is a sharp dresser, how he has kept himself in good physical shape, his handiness around the house, that he is a great cook, his love of music, his artistic talent, what a great travel companion he is—and most of all, a supportive and loving husband and great Dad. If I weren’t already married to my dream man, I’d be looking up Jason.
Ms. Krouse-Rosenthal wrapped up her last and most important piece on Valentine’s Day. She thought of it as one last gift she could give the man of her dreams. She knew she could not have him anymore—but wanted desperately for him to find new love with someone else. Seriously, is there any greater love than this?
Kleenex anyone?
