Samuel Langhorne Clemens (pen name: Mark Twain) is at it again. His words have stood the test of time and continue to move mountains to this day. His words usually shift me toward hysterics—he was a witty one. Alas, this letter leans toward the heartfelt side of things, though it’s no less clever than the rest of his musings.

This is the letter he wrote to his wife Livy for her 30th birthday (I’ve blogged about it before). In this article I do more than blog, however, I dissect the letter so that the rest of us can use it for our own personal gain. It’s a little confusing as to what is mine and what is Mark’s. Allow me to explain: I wrote the introduction (yes, it’s in the third person), and all the insights in [brackets] are mine as well. The rest belongs to Mr. Twain, er, Clemens in this case.