Almost a Year...

Casey and I have been together for almost a year and part of me can't believe it's only been a year, but then again the other part of me can't believe it's already been a year.  We only dated a few weeks before we decided we wanted to get married which shocked all of our friends and most of our family members.  We had been friends for almost two years and had come to know each other very well.  There were a lot of people who doubted us and questioned why we wanted to get married so quickly.  I don't have any explanation other than when you know you just know; and more than anything we just wanted to be married.  I had never been so certain of anything so it didn't matter what anyone else thought.   

They always say that the first year of marriage is the hardest, and it is dificult at times to combine two lives into one.  There is a lot of give and take in a marriage, and we both agree that trying to each give 50% doesn't work, so we try to give 100% to each other. 

I never doubted that I wanted to marry Casey, but I wanted to make sure that I never lost who I am as a person again.  Casey is patient and kind, determined and strong, stands up for what he believes in but listens to the opposite side of the story with an open mind.  The things he treasures most cannot be priced because they are his friends and his family.  They have all welcomed me with open arms.  Whether it is my side of the family or his side of the family, we always walk into a gathering with warm and happy greetings.  Our house is small, but filled with wonderful animals and lots of love; our families have grown into one giant, warm, and welcoming family; and I am sharing my life with the love of my life.  Although we have a lot of goals we want to accomplish, I feel like we are the wealthiest people in the world with all of the friends and family we have accumulated together, and I am so very, very thankful for it all.

Time really does heal all wounds if you let it.  It may take a little longer than you would like, but if you keep your faith, hold onto what is left of your heart, and don't let the pain make you bitter, it'll grow back bigger, stronger, and more determined than ever before.  You will even find that the pain that once hollowed out your heart has served its purpose by carving out more room for a deeper love and greater understanding than you ever felt before...