We met over 35 years ago while serving overseas in The Republic of South Korea. Our courtship was not typical. When we first met, I was interested in Amanda but she was already involved with someone else. She often says, she didn't like me at first, but it was my winning smile that won her over.
The day we became husband and wife, was not a big glorious day of celebration. As military personnel serving overseas, we had to request authorization from our chain of command to get married. The day we received the approved paperwork, began on a sunny Friday morning in the Land of the Morning Calm (South Korea). We boarded a bus to Pyeongtaek to get the stamp of approval from the local municipality. From there we headed to Seoul to the US Embassy to get the final stamp of approval and file the paperwork. This journey has taken us to many places and on joyous adventures. Throughout our journey and years in the military, we faced many challenges- Including multiple separations (some a few years) due to assignments and deployments. |
There were times it didn't seem like we would make it. But our faith in God and commitment to each other and promise to leave a legacy of love and hope for our children helped us through every challenge we faced. Through the years, there were days we may not have always liked each other, but we continued to love on each other. Loving means accepting faults, celebrating successes, standing with each other, and always, always seeking God first in the difficult times. Marital longevity takes faith in God, Faith in each other, fidelity, and perseverance.