I am Grateful for my Marriage

We've all had them. Fantasies of living happily ever after with Prince Charming, or the beautiful princess. Disney rarely shows what happens after a couple walks hand in hand into the sunset - unless it's the terrible and very unrealistic sequel. I had heard that marriage was difficult. Especially that first year. As I stand here, nearly on the other side of that foreboding year, I am amazed at how far Chris and I have come these last nine months. It has definitely been hell, hard, trying, difficult, impossible, and oh, so incredible. 

I loved Chris before we got married. As corny as all those country love songs are, they are right. The love I felt that day in the temple cannot compare to what I feel now. Chris and I have held each other through tears, heartache, and pain. We’ve seen each other at our very lowest. Forgiveness has definitely been a big part of our marriage, and compromise is essential every single day. I have learned how selfish I can be, and how selfless Chris is.

As Thanksgiving passed, I thought about how much things have changed for me in the last year. How much I have changed. And as I look forward to Christmas, and the celebration of the birth of our Savior, I am struck by the miracles I am witnessing daily. Our purpose on this earth is to learn and grow – to become like our Father in heaven.  This life is a test. Quick analogy. I had to take the MAT to apply for graduate school. The purpose of the test was to see if I would be able to handle the rigors of graduate school. Supposedly, there is a direct correlation with how well you do on the test, and how well you will do in graduate school. Often, when times get hard in my classes, I think about that test and my score. I did surprisingly and amazingly well. Sometimes, remembering that is all I need to remember that I am good enough to be where I am now. In life, things are hard. Trials will and do come. But we survived our first test in the pre-mortal life. We are good enough to be here. And now we are proving to ourselves that we are good enough to live with Heavenly Father again.   

I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to be married to one of the best men I know. He isn’t perfect, but he’s exactly what I needed to help me become the person that I want to be. We are growing together, in more ways than one.