In the email, I quoted these words of the great American boxer Muhammad Ali: "Champions aren't made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them - a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have last-minute stamina, they have to be a little faster, they have to have the skill and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill."
I can't recall what my motive for quoting Muhammad Ali in the email was. All I remember is that Byatta wrote back and told me that Ivy League colleges don't admit champions; they admit those who have faced challenges and are ready for more.
Those words of Byatta have stayed with me over the years. Of late, I have been using them while thinking about the kind of wife I'd like to have: a woman who has faced challenges and is ready for more.
Apart from the ability to deal with challenges positively, the other qualities I will seek in my future wife are the same ones that Harvard College looks for in applicants: maturity, integrity, creativity, intellectual promise, sense of humor, warmth of personality, quality of writing and concern for others.
I will be especially keen to read the writings of my future wife because I can tell a lot about a person from the way they write. People who write beautifully have beautiful souls too.
As for concern for others - one of the qualities that Harvard College looks for in applicants - I wouldn't want to marry a woman who shows me great affection and then treats some people with contempt. Marrying such a woman means that with time, she will also treat me contemptuously.
Today, I thought it wise to share on this blog the following letter I wrote to my future wife:
Dear Future Wife,There you have it: that is, my letter to my future wife. I know some naysayers may accuse me of living in a fantasy world. But didn't other naysayers say the same of Nicolaus Copernicus' theory that the earth revolves around the sun? Just as Copernicus' theory was proved right, my letter to my future wife may yield positive results. That's all I am saying.
Even though we haven't met yet, I know you are alive somewhere on this planet. I think about you every now and then. And I often pray that God protects you in danger and prospers you in all things good.
I am always picturing the kind of woman you are. To begin with, I know you love God and have a pure heart. You are brilliant, humble, bold, kind, forgiving and understanding.
For you to possess such a pure heart, you must be someone who loves praying, reading, writing, jogging, walking and listening to music. I love those hobbies too.
Besides having a pure heart, you must also be beautiful. I can't wait to be captivated by your beauty. Boy, won't I be proud to show you off to my true friends! - the ones who want me to succeed.
In my readings, I have come across stories of couples that were once deeply in love, only for their marriages to end in conflicts, divorces and even murder. Not wanting that to happen to us, I will strive to make our love for each other grow till death do us part. I trust you will also put forth a similar effort.
And how will we make our love for each other grow? By setting aside time to be with each other just to share our memories, dreams and fears. I'll be all ears as you share your stories with me during those bonding times.
As the head of our family, I promise to work hard in my blogging career in order to provide for the family. I will endeavor to write the most interesting stories, produce beautiful hymns and deliver great speeches.
If we ever get lucky to have children, I vow to be a doting father. I will ensure our children grow up in a caring environment that prepares them for the challenges of the 21st century.
For now, I am enjoying my life as a footloose and fancy-free single man. And I am confident that when I get into a relationship with you, my life will become even more joyful.
Well, our journey together is bound to have challenges. But with our faith in God and love for each other, we will always bounce back to our joyful selves.
Eagerly waiting to meet you, I know it will be love at first sight the moment we will see each other. We will talk gleefully and affectionately like we have known each other for years. Don't you think so too?
Forever yours,
Thuita J. Maina.
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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed the above story on my future wife, you might also enjoy another one titled "On Sex, Love & Relationships" which I wrote five years ago. Just click on that link in blue to dive straight into the story.
