I’ve written many posts about how Tommy and I met, that we were teenagers, became friends and then became a couple. He stood by me all through many college major changes and then finally nursing school. Nursing school and having a boyfriend was not easy. Nursing school consumes you and you see and talk to your classmates a lot more than anyone else. It’s been many years but you don’t forget.
Tommy proposed to me when I was literally in the middle of nursing school. Of course he asked my Dad before proposing and my Dad asked him for us to not get married until I finished school; and then Dad said, “there’s NO returns” haha! I wouldn’t expect anything less.
Tomorrow/Nov 12, will be Tommy and my 30th wedding anniversary. It’s pretty surreal when I think about it. Not that it doesn’t seem possible. But that I thought the years would feel longer, but they don’t.
Most marriages are unique in their own way. Every couple have their own challenges, difficult times; some have breaking points and the marriage is over. Tommy and I began our marriage with Thomas arriving 9 months later. I don’t regret having Thomas so soon or having our next 2 children as close in years they are.
This past weekend a woman asked us “so, what’s your secret?” I laughed because there is no secret. We have plenty of life to live and plenty of anniversaries to celebrate. I asked Tommy if he ever envisioned our life a certain way when we were first married or about to be married. And he said no, that he just took things as they came. I felt the same way. I know whenever I tried to plan out our lives a huge curveball would come and drastically change what I was thinking of. God has other plans.
I’m very happy to celebrate our anniversary together. I’ve grown so much since I was 25 and learned a lot about life and about myself. What I am capable of whether it be fighting and advocating for Thomas in the special needs realm or stepping back as my girls completed college and now Sam in welding school.
I never would have grown as I did without Tommy. He is a great man, patient, so smart, extraordinary sense of humor and he loves me.
Menay O; mom to 4, Christian and thrift shopper on the side... 