I had it all wrong

A girlfriend of mine told me the other day that one thing she loved about me was how devoted I am to my husband. She said it reminded her of when she was first married. How she was so in love with her husband. She thought I was so dedicated to him because we were newlywed. I really don’t consider us newlyweds, but then again, it’s not like we’ve been married for decades either.


It really got me to thinking, how did I get this fiercely devoted? She’s right though. I’m sold out to my husband. I believe it’s because of the way we started dating and how we got married. It was because of the military and the emotions I experienced with him preparing to deploy, then deploying and then the return. I’m not the only one like this. There are so many other men and women out there fiercely devoted to their spouse as a means of survival.

I met my husband through one of my best guy friends, Jonathan. He’s a Marine, too. Jonathan is about one of the most hilarious people I know; always the jokester. He’s one of those guys who can keep people at a distance with his jokes. Everyone loves him, but he doesn’t let everyone in. A couple summers back, Jonathan told me that he was going to Ocean City, Maryland with a bunch of friends from back home. He said that the girls were going to be all over him. I rolled my eyes at his cockiness.

Unbeknown to him, he would meet Aubrey that week. A girl like he’s never known before. She was a princess and he wanted nothing more than to spoil her. From the moment he first spoke about her you could see how intrigued he was with her. He came back from the trip and all he ever talked about was Aubrey. He was on the phone ALL the time with her. He used to make fun of guys on the phones with their girls. Now he was that guy. He kept telling me about her, like how she’d never drank from the faucet or had Kentucky Fried Chicken. He was amazed with her. She was as girly as they come. She was very intelligent. She was as passionate about football as he was. Somehow, this girl slipped past all his barriers and taken hold of his heart.

Needless to say they fell head over heels in love. She hated me at first because I was such good friends with him. I don’t blame her for feeling that way. If I was in a long distant relationship and my boyfriend spent his weekends at another girls’ house, I’d be freaking out, too. I tried to reach out to her and let her know I wasn’t a threat. We’ve become really good friends since then. Five months after they met, he proposed to her while watching “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Three months later, they had a traditional courthouse wedding, promising a life of love and commitment forever. Of course, because it was Jonathan’s wedding there were a few jokes thrown in there. A few weeks later, Jonathan deployed to Iraq.

Aubrey went into survival mode. She lived for his phone calls. Jonathan would wait in line for at least an hour to talk to her. Then when his time was up, he’d get back in line and do it all over again. Aubrey learned the Marine Corps life and adapted to her new environment with pride. She got to know other Marine wives and was involved in the family readiness program. She always kept herself above reproach; an example for other wives and girlfriends trying to make it through deployment.

Jonathan came home seven months later. It was the most joyous reunion. Their love was very much alive and fresh. I swear they held each other kissing and crying forever. It was so sweet. Jonathan and Aubrey have a special kind of love. They’re fiercely devoted to each other and their marriage. Nothing else comes before that, unless of course it’s God. They spent the next 14 months taking advantage of the time they had together. Spoiling each other in this time they were given. They desperately wanted kids of their own. They’d take every chance to babysit other people’s kids just to prepare themselves as parents. They must’ve done a stellar job, because they’re pregnant with twins: a boy and a girl.

The pregnancy hasn’t been easy but Aubrey is such a strong woman. She can handle anything. Jonathan deployed mid pregnancy and is still overseas. Aubrey has yet to deliver these future hellions. I can’t imagine being pregnant with my husband gone. I really admire her strength. I love Aubrey. She’s such an amazing woman and wife. Jonathan is such a great husband to her as well. He is always kind and considerate to her. He’s always thinking about her and her needs. When you met them you are immediately struck by the respect they have for one another.

Aubrey is doing her best to take care of herself while he is away. Again, with experience under her belt, she is embracing this second deployment. She hasn’t heard from him much on this deployment. However, he did finally call her…

He is being awarded the Purple Heart metal.

Don’t worry; he’s okay. It’s just a head wound. I love how he called her and said that he tripped and fell. He didn’t tell her that he ran over an IED and has a head injury. He called her back two days later to tell her that he was going to be awarded the Purple Heart. That’s when he told her what really happened. Aubrey said he was joking around and teasing her on the phone. Not even an IED could steal his love for this woman. But really my favorite part (if you can have a favorite part to this kind of story) is that the head injury came with strep throat. So, his body decided that since he almost got blown up, he should also have strep throat on the side as well. That makes perfect sense.

Aubrey has been preparing herself for this for a while now. So when the news came, she took it like the champ she is. I am so proud of her and Jonathan, and their little warrior babies, too. I am so grateful that he is okay and that he is still himself.

These kinds of situations make you fiercely devoted to each other. God put these two together to hold each other up and bring happiness to their lives.

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