13 months to go!

Ben and I always joke that our entire relationship has been about waiting. Six months waiting to make it “Facebook official” and to be able to go out alone together. 9 months waiting for me to finish high school so we could once again be at the same school. 19 months of waiting to say, “I do.” And as summer draws closer, we get to do three more months of separation as Ben stays in Sioux Falls to work and I head home to Yankton for one more summer of working, amazing quality time with my mama and the rest of my family, wedding planning, and lots of working. Ben is the only one who really understands how frustrated I get when we’re apart for long amounts of time. Let’s just say that my patience level is very small. I absolutely hate being apart for more than a few days. I have such a deep respect for military couples who are separated for months at a time with no option of driving home for a quick weekend together. I couldn’t do it…so I’m glad Ben isn’t a military man!

But waiting and separation is one of the biggest reasons I know that Ben is completely and totally committed. In high school when we were waiting those six months, girls used to tell Ben that they wished a boy would wait for them the way he waited for me. The fact that he respected my dad’s wishes and was willing to wait six months to just date me was pretty romantic in my fifteen year old brain. And my nineteen year old brain…I still think that was pretty romantic. J And then Ben endured my crazy emotions last year while I was still in Yankton and he was at USF. I was pretty ridiculous at times. Poor guy…but he took it like a champ. And we got engaged so I guess it wasn’t that bad…at least that’s what I tell myself to justify my craziness. And we both know that this summer will be tough for me, and I will probably get antsy and emotional just like I did last year. At least I know he’s prepared!

A few weeks ago someone asked me why I thought I was ready to get married. It sort of caught me off guard, and I simply wanted to say “Because we love each other.” But that’s a lame reason. A lot of people fall in love, but that doesn’t mean they should get married. But thinking back to all the waiting made me realize that I know we’re ready for this because of what we’ve gone through and what we’ve learned from it. I know that Ben respects me and my family. I’ve known from the beginning that Ben wanted something real and lasting, and he proved it by waiting and being incredibly patient with me. The trust and respect between us is so strong because we’ve learned to face problems head on and talk through them. So yes, we may be young, and to some marriage seems a little crazy. But I think we are more ready for this than people who may be years older than us. Others tell me that I have my whole life to be married and that I should take these years to go out into the world and have fun. I don’t want to do that alone. I want Ben to go with me, and I want to have fun together. I want to chase dreams with him right by my side. I know I have my whole life to be married…is it wrong to want an early start? I can’t imagine anything better than living life with my favorite person in the whole world.

So…let the waiting continue! 13 months to go until wedding day, three months of summer separation. It’ll be worth it. We’re pros at waiting anyway.