Leap of Faith

My husband and I just celebrated our 17th wedding anniversary this past weekend, and I couldn’t help but sit across from him at dinner and grin from ear to ear.

My heart is full.  

It only took three dates for him to ask me to marry him, of which my response was, “why not?” Not exactly the most romantic reply or one that I share with our four children, but most definitely one of the best decisions I have ever made to say “yes!” and take a giant leap of faith. 

Although our story didn’t follow the traditional path of a suitable courtship, ensuring we were the one for each other, it is a courtship that we truly appreciate as it grew through us getting to know each other through love letters in the mail. 

See, my husband Sam decided to propose to me the night before he left for basic training. I drove to drop him off at MEPS in Nashville, TN, in the wee hours of the morning … hours before he said, “I want to stop with you. Will you be my wife?” 

I watched him and the other recent swear-ins drive away in the big white, old school bus headed to Fort Jackson, SC. I knew our communication would be very limited (one 10-minute phone call per week), but luckily both of us loved to write. 

Leaping through letters

I documented my days to him in my letters, including wedding plans and eventual updates, to include dreams and goals for our relationship. He would respond and refer to my letters, and we did this for months.

I would carry my letter to the mailbox, wearing a gigantic smile on my face, and whisper that it would arrive in his hands after a long day in the field. I would look ever so forward to going home after work and receiving a letter from him. Sometimes I would get pressed flowers or drawings.

I always knew and could feel that I was a priority, pushing me through his geographical absence. 

We continue to Leap

At this point in our marriage … in our relationship … I can’t help but feel that time of separation prepared us both for the many months and years of his absences. This October, he will have served on active duty in the US Army for 18 years. During that time, schools, training, TDYs, and deployments have forced geographic separations averaging around 65% of our marriage.  

But, absence does make the heart grow fonder. Or at least it does in our relationship. The things that drive us crazy (he doesn’t rinse the dishes before he loads them in the dishwasher, and I never shut pantry doors) tend to be pushed down into the crevasses of our minds while we’re apart. 

We both took leaps of faith when we said I DO without really knowing one another or, more importantly, knowing what the military lifestyle had in store for us, but neither one of us would change anything or get to this point any differently.  

Happy Anniversary, Sam! Thank you for taking a leap of faith when you asked me to be your wife. I’m so glad you did. 

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