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We were exhausted. Our baby girl did not understand the concept of sleeping through the night. We wanted to spend time together, but sleep had become more of a priority than having a date night. Back then, date nights usually meant dinner and a movie at home, but even those types of dates had been set aside for a season. We took turns getting up with our little one. While I was too tired to realize it at the time, D sacrificed a lot to allow me to get a few extra moments of sleep as he was working full time while going to school full time. He fell asleep in his chair while holding Munchkin more times than I can count just so I could get a few minutes of quiet sleep in our bed.
Munchkin was only a little over 6 months old when we moved away from family. D had finished up OCS (Officer Candidate School), so he was a newly commissioned officer. It was time for him to go to TBS (The Basic School). His schooling had to become his priority which wasn’t easy on us. He wanted to put Munchkin and I first, but it just wasn’t possible. It took a lot more work during this part of his training to stay connected. I was exhausted, and he was focused on his training. At times, it felt like we were two ships passing in the night, but we got through it.
Looking back, I realize that we grew a lot as individuals. We grew stronger and more independent. At the same time, we learned to depend on each other more rather than outside sources as we were completely on our own for the first time. We could have easily grown apart while we were growing individually, but because we purposefully made our marriage and each other a priority, our relationship with each other continued to grow.
Note from D: It’s important to go through the struggle. The struggle is what makes you successful. It’s like everything else in life; if you don’t have to be challenged, it won’t mean as much. The relationship won’t be as valuable. The struggle gives insight into who you are as individuals and as a couple. Obviously, to be successful, you need to work through the struggles and not give up.
D always cared about how I was doing. He wanted to hear about even the mundane aspects of our day. I did my best to ask him about his day and really listen to what he was saying. I showed an interest in his training. On his days off, we just enjoyed being together as a family. I think this started us on a path to just being happy being around each other and not taking time together for granted.
Follow Fawn Weaver, the founder of the Happy Wives Club, on her journey to find the secrets to a happy, healthy marriage that lasts a lifetime. You can grab a copy here.
Happy Wives Club Our Marriage Series:
- Part 1: The Adventure of a Lifetime 1/1/14
- Part 2: The Value of Commitment and Communication 1/2/14
- Part 3: Priorities 1/3/14
- Part 4: Trust and Encouragement 1/4/14
- Part 5: Faith 1/5/14
- Part 6: It’s the Little Things That Matter 1/6/14
- Part 7: Happy Wives Club Book Review 1/7/14
