There's Times

There are some people I know who tell me I'm crazy. Tell me that getting married at 23 is a bad idea. Who told me when I was 18 and in school and said I wanted to be married before I was 25. Who say that I need to enjoy being single before I get married.

Then there are some people who when they hear how I sacrifice my time for my wife-to-be tell me I'm crazy and tell me to get her to do stuff by herself. Why would I want to make her be alone when I can be with her? Yes it interrupts my plans sometimes but relationships aren't about what I can get out of them, but what I can provide.

I learned early in life that doing things for others is so much more satisfying than doing things for yourself. I also learned, that while I am an introvert and need my time alone, life is much better lived when you're living it with someone else. Whether it be a good core group of friends or a girlfriend or a wife, life is happier and moments are happier when lived with someone else.

I was reminded of this when attending a friends wedding last week with Elena. The pastor's message was about making moments and making them good. Having good memories with each other and remembering them in the bad times. I was really moved by it and it made me think of all the good times I have had with Elena. We've been together for over 3 years at this point, but a lot of it has been long distance. The best moments were the one or two days a month I got to spend a couple days with her and we got to be with each other. Then when she moved to Edmonton for school we had to adjust from being a once-a-month couple to an everyday couple. It had it's rough points, but neither of us had endured so much long distance to just throw it away when there was a disagreement.

The biggest thing was learning how to communicate again. The first 2 months of our relationship I was in Fort Mac with her, but I was working 6 on/6 off and it had it's own set of challenges. Then we had to adjust to the once-a-month couple, which we did for about 2 years, then we had to adjust to the everyday couple. The fact we've been able to adjust and relearn how to communicate through it all has been a strength. I'm not saying we're perfect, because we're easily the furthest from it, but we both have a desire to be together. She even cancelled a trip of hers to Europe next summer so that we are able to get married next year rather than waiting til she is completely done school (something I'm probably not appreciative enough towards her for).

When our wedding bells chime, I'll be 23 and she'll be 20. We'll be starting a new chapter in our lives, when we go from an everyday couple to an all-the-time couple. It'll be another adjustment, and I definitely look forward to it. Will people still call me crazy? Probably. I can't control what other people say or think, nor do I want to. All I know is I'm happy with the choices I've made, and her saying "Yes" when I asked her to marry me made me the happiest man alive. I believe we'll succeed because we both want to. We know that good times come with the bad. We know that as long as we're willing to constantly adjust and always keep what we can do for each other rather than what we can do for ourselves at the forefront, we'll be fine. No, actually, we'll be more than fine. We'll be the happiest couple we know (no offence to other couples) because we will have each other. My heart just fills with joy thinking about the day we get married. And nobody can tell me I'm wrong or crazy, because I'm making the best choice of my life.