How do I love my life....let me count the ways - Part 2

I love my husband. I am so incredibly thankful to have had Mr. Cat by my side for almost 18 years now. I am so thankful that he is my best friend, and my soul mate, and I am so happy to share the Sacrament of Marriage with him. We rarely argue. We have this way of just "getting" each other. (another God-given gift) We are happy together and we have a great relationship. When we got married at 20 and 21, most people thought we were nutso. The first thing asked is was I pregnant, and when people found out that was not the case, the second question was just why? Why would we do that at our ages? We did it because it was right for us.

Marriage wasn't always easy. Our first apartment was a studio. We had one main room with a dining area (a light bulb hung over a section by the wall). We had a little kitchenette. There was a small sink, a two burner stove, and a refrigerator that I was taller than. (I don't quite make it to 5'.) We had a tiny hallway which housed a closet and a sink. There was a bathroom with a door that had a toilet and a tub. It was tight quarters. When we moved in, all we had was a mattress on the floor. I remember someone coming to visit and saying how it was "so bohemian" and I thought that was just so cool.

We eventually got a table and chairs, a television, a coffee table, and a pull out sofa that was our bed for a year. We had one very unreliable vehicle (it actually broke down the morning of our wedding). Mr. Cat had a job he was working long hours at and I had two jobs I was working, but we were making it. We had each other and that was what mattered most.

The first year of marriage was tough. We had so little space we couldn't even argue properly. When we would get disgruntled with each other, I would take my pillow and blanket and go sleep in the bathtub. (See, I really am that short!) So many people didn't think we'd make it through the first year. There were bets going on about how long we would last. Even though at that time we did not understand what a Sacramental Marriage was, the one thing we did know was that we were in it for the long haul. So many people nowadays get married with the thought that if it doesn't work out, they can just get a divorce. Thankfully, even then, that was never an option for us. Even through arguments and spats, we both knew that the only person we ever wanted to be with was the other. We managed to make it through.

Our move to New York and living with my mother and step-father took a toll on our marriage. There was a lot of friction going on, and it was rough. We got our own place, and Mr. Cat took a job working nights when Mini Me was born. That was very rough. He slept in the day, and worked all night, sometimes crazy long hours. We lived in an upper apartment at first above a crazy landlord, and then in a duplex. We seemed to be past most of the rough stuff, and were enjoying being married and being parents for the first time. When Mini Me was 16 months old, Mr. Cat joined the Army. This was a joint decision, even though he was the one enlisting. He had talked about being a soldier when we were dating and I immediately dismissed it. "No way. Nope. Not me. I am not even remotely cut out to be a military wife. I can't deal with being stuck alone all the time. Nope, not going to do it. Not ever, not never." And I wasn't cut out for it. Back before we had kids, I am ashamed to admit this out loud, but I even cried when Mr. Cat went out of town for a couple of days for a business trip, so heart-broken I was at the thought of being alone. (I look back and laugh hysterically at myself, by the way.)

Despite my earlier negative thoughts on the military, I was proud and ready to become an Army wife. I made it through basic training, and AIT, and I eagerly awaited my soldier's return to take me to our new home. We went to Washington. State. From New York. And we ran out of money halfway there, but that is a story for another time. I loved being an Army wife, and being a military spouse is something I will always miss. It was a wonderful life, and I wouldn't trade in those years of our lives for anything.

One of the hardest things I ever had to do during my time as a military wife was saying goodbye to my beloved and sending him off for a deployment. That last kiss goodbye, that one last backward glance in the rear view mirror, not knowing if that was going to be the last time I ever saw him.....wow. That still gets me every time and I remember it like it was yesterday. Getting the call from him that he was okay, but was being medically evacuated out of Iraq is another thing that is permanently etched in my memory. Being apart from him, that I could do, I was used to doing. The thought of losing him, it made me mad with worry because how could I lose a part of myself, a part of my heart, and still live?

12 years and three kids later, I am now the wife of a retired disabled combat veteran. We are still together, and in December will be celebrating 18 years of marriage. During all those years, there were two constants in my life. The love I shared with my spouse, and the love I shared with God. I am so very thankful to still have both of those going so strong. I am still over-the-moon in love with my husband. I find him just as, I would actually say more so, attractive as the day we met. I grow more and more in love with him each passing year. I did not even know it was possible to love someone so much. I am so incredibly lucky that we have each other, and I am so grateful for the way God designed our relationship. In areas where I am weak, he is strong, and where he is weak, I am strong. We are like two perfectly fitting puzzle pieces. There are so many things I could say and most sound very kitschy, but, I truly do love my husband.