There are so many things that I never thought I would do. I never thought that I would find the one guy in the world who was meant for me, and I definitely never thought that I would marry him. I used to be a very cynical person, always on the downside, always skeptical about love and marriage. I always told myself that if true love really did exist, that the one person who was meant for me would completely change my views-and completely change my life. About three years ago, my life changed as I knew it.
I did find that one person, and from the moment that I first spoke to him I knew that I would never be the same person. I am now a better person for knowing him, and a better person for loving him. There is nothing on this earth that I am more grateful for than the love that we are lucky to be sharing.
While we both knew that we were meant for each other right away, we certainly did not get together right away. I was in a different relationship for quite some time, one that I was not very happy to be in, because I already knew that there was someone better out there. Jon, the love of my life, fought for me for so long and we almost lost each other along the way. Finally, I saw the light and got out of that horrible relationship that I had been in. I realized that I wanted to be with Jon, and only Jon. I realized that I loved him, that I had always loved him, and that I always will love him. About five days after my breakup, he told me that he had always loved me. I told him the same. We began dating at that moment.
But there is something about Jon that would make any relationship complicated. He is a United States Marine. I knew that by the end of the summer he would be deployed to Afghanistan, and the thought still is so terrifying to me. From the very start of our relationship, we talked about getting married someday. That day came sooner than we thought, because on August 10, 2010, we became husband and wife. It is not too often that two teenagers fall in love and want to spend the rest of their lives together, and so it shocks most people. Our families can tell that we are truly meant for each other, so they fully supported our decision. Then, about a month after our wedding, he was shipped off to Afghanistan.

So here I stay, safely in the United States waiting for my Marine to return. Every day that I can’t hear his voice at the other end of the phone is scarier than anything, and makes it harder to be without him. A lot of women in my position would not have the strength to continue, and most of the time I do not feel strong at all. But then I remember things that make me smile. I remember all the little things about Jon that make him the man I love. I think of the way he laughs, and the way he looks at me; I think of how the first thing he says when we wake up next to each other is, “You look gorgeous”, even though I am usually without makeup and have messy hair that early. To all military families, just remember the simple little things that made you happy when your loved one was close to you, and you will be happy again. More importantly, think of the day when they will come home. I know that I would wait forever if I had to, just to be with my Jon again. He is my reason for everything, and he made my life mean something. To Jon, I love you.