As Valentine's Day approaches, naturally, I got to thinking about Love and what it really means. Real Love goes far deeper than a dozen roses and a mushy card on a Hallmark Holiday. In our 4 years and 7 months of Marriage, I've learned a lot about Love and Marital Love. It's a daily choice. It's not something we feel like doing all of the time, but it is for better or worse, richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part, just as we promised each other on July 8th, 2011.
1. Real Love sees his wife thru 4 bouts of cellulitis.
2. Real Love makes Lifetime health and dietary changes (resulting in substantial weight loss) with his wife, after she is diagnosed with prediabetes.
3. Real Love makes sacrifices to work hard to get out of debt just 1 year after we got Married.
4. Real Love grows stronger, thru the caring of (in addition to becoming his power of attorney) a parent with cancer, in the hospital and nursing home, after only just over a year of marriage. Real Love is being there together when that parent breathes his last breath and enters into the arms of Jesus.
5. Real Love is holding each other up when we felt totally out of control after I was admitted to the hospital the day after we planned his Dad's funeral. I was hospitalized for 3 nights, and had my dead and gangrenous gallbladder removed. Jonathan was there for me, even thru his own grief of losing his Dad. I got released from the hospital, and we went straight to his Dad's memorial service. That was a very difficult time for us, but God was Faithful and we are stronger together because of it.
6. Real Love is there for you when you find out your Mom's cancer spread to her brain, and later her lung.
7. Real Love holds you up when you find out your "little" Sister's 37 year old Husband and Father of 4 of your precious Nieces and Nephews has a rare and aggressive cancer, of which there is no cure.
We've celebrated our 40th Birthdays together, and have seen some amazing places together in our travels, Upper Michigan, Aruba, NYC, Boston, Florida, etc. We try to live life to the fullest everyday, knowing that we aren't guaranteed tomorrow. We love to bless others together, which is something else we wouldn't be in a financial position to do if we weren't together.
We have been married just over 4.5 years, but I feel like we've experienced a lifetime of ups and downs in our relatively short time of being married. We are stronger together. Our Wedding verse was "God sets the Lonely in Families." ~Psalm 68:6. God knew what we would have to face in the future, and I'm so thankful he brought us together to support and love each other in the best and worst of times. Life is tough, but God is Faithful! :-)
Yes. He did get me a dozen roses and a super sweet card, for which I'm very grateful! :-) But this pales in comparison to the unconditional love he has shown me in the past 4.5 years.
Jonathan, I love you so very much, and there is no one else I'd rather experience the highest highs and lowest lows of life with.
Happy Valentine's Day Baby!
Always and Forever Yours,
Your Irish Hills Hottie! ;-)
