I remember not so long ago, I believed I would never find “The One”. It wasn’t so much that I wasn’t given the opportunity to find it, I just don’t think I had yet. Then I met my husband and found exactly what I’d been looking for my whole life.

Thirty minutes ago, I waved goodbye to my husband as he drove off for another 10pm-8am work shift. With a proud look on my face, I smiled and thought how lucky I was to be married to this man; someone so loving and thoughtful, who always put his family FIRST.

We have a pretty healthy marriage, which I would credit to the hard work we put into it. Our marriage is focused on treating each other as equals; we always share the housework, look after the kids together, and lean on one another for support. I could never have asked for a more loving husband; he is my best friend and soulmate.

But then I think about those who aren’t fortunate enough to have found that yet. Some are completely happy with that, some are not as much. And it made me feel lucky to know that I have something that so many people long for.

But like anything in life, we have worked hard at it. We’ve had our good days, we’ve had our bad ones; but our marriage has grown because of all the lessons we have learned so far. He’s challenged me and shown me different perspectives on life, and I think true love doesn’t change someone, it helps them to grow.

So how do I know that I love my husband? I don’t love him because of any material reason, I love him because he honestly makes my life happier. I can sit for hours with him talking about the most senseless topics, laugh with him the way I couldn’t with anyone else, and cry with him because he makes me feel safe. When you find the right person, you just know.

But I think the important thing to realise is that relationships aren’t easy, they can’t be based purely on love. No matter how well suited two people are, without putting in the hard work, you will not reap the rewards. You have to remember that you are not only a parent, but a partner as well. A healthy marriage means a healthy family, which in the end, will be a great environment for children to grow up in.

So when I remember why I love my husband, I remember that love is more than four letters. It’s working together and doing what is right for your family. True love means not giving up on someone when times get hard, supporting them when they need it, and making sacrifices to benefit the relationship. Our relationship wouldn’t have gotten where it is today without the dedication that we put into it… a dedication that has been made worthwhile, in more ways than one.

Thuy Le (formerly known as Thuy Yau) is a freelance writer and Youth Work graduate living in Perth, Australia. She loves to share her own personal experiences about overcoming adversity, as she believes that human beings are more capable than they realise. She writes to make a positive difference in the world and to inspire others to learn from themselves and their own experiences. Her writing has been discussed on radio, won writing contests, appeared on The Huffington Post UK and major Australian sites such as news.com.au, SMH, Kidspot and Essential Kids. She has just completed her first book – a memoir - and is on the search for a publisher.