Day 20 - The Triumph

I just found out today that Adam & I won wedding photography from the most amazing photographers based in Seattle, Washington. I had to write out our story for the contest, so I figured I'd share it. :-)

Adam & I met 5 years ago at a local YMCA gym while playing a game of pick-up basketball. There were no sparks, no love-at-first-sight, and there was no storybook romance. In fact, if we had known at that moment how much pain we would endure because of our future relationship, we might not have even spoken. But we did, and I am so thankful, because it changed my life.

I didn't exactly do things right the first time. I was young and foolish, but I got two beautiful boys out of the mess that was my previous relationship. I also figured out what I wanted in a man. I didn't see it in Adam right away. We were just friends, and he was in a relationship of his own. We saw each other a few times a week and went about our lives. It wasn't until both of us found ourselves in crises that we began developing a deeper relationship.

I always looked forward to our conversations. It was amazing to me that I found a man who was good at listening, and even better at challenging me to step out of my comfort zone and grow myself. He loved that I played sports with the guys, and wasn't afraid of a physical challenge. When I found out he was taking a job in another state, I was devastated. It was too soon for me to be in another relationship, and he needed to take the next step in his career. I didn't know if I'd ever see him again.

We kept in touch after he left. The frequency of our conversations on the phone became daily, and it wasn't long before I asked him to come back and visit. I initially assumed that after he left I would move on, but I found myself feeling like I couldn't live without him. It was an impossible situation. I had 2 kids and couldn't leave the state, and he was under contract for 2 years and worked in the media industry where getting to pick a job in a specific city almost never happened.

We spent the next 2 1/2 years travelling back and forth every 4-6 weeks to spend a few days with each other. We never knew if our relationship would work out. At times, it was overwhelming being away from each other, but we stayed committed. Our belief that our relationship was worth fighting for, and many, many prayers kept us hanging on.

From the outside, it might not seem like much. We didn't have to battle cancer, war didn't separate us, and being apart really was just the result of my own mistakes. But in a society where commitment is becoming a rarity, and love based on hard work and self-sacrifice isn't seen too often, we really did have something special and we knew it.

In July of last year, a job became available at the same news station he had previously worked at. Taking the job meant that we could finally be together, but it also meant a pay cut, and permanently stepping into the lives of 2 little boys that were not his own. It was asking a lot. I wasn't surprised when the man I had grown to love so much made the sacrifice to be with me and my boys. He proposed in February, in the middle of a game of pick-up basketball. The way we met became the beginning of the story of the rest of our lives together. We're ready for the long haul. We already know that good relationships are always worth fighting for. :-)