Once upon a time in the kingdom of Taylor, Michigan, there was a lonely girl named Beth who longed for someone to love her. Despite studying hard in school and working to support herself, she very rarely found herself enjoying life and wondered when people would stop disappointing her.
Then one day, in the neighboring kingdom of Dearborn, Beth attended a yearly music competition. While there, she sat next to an acquaintance she’d known for years who noticed she seemed a little down in the dumps. The acquaintance, whose name was Wendy, said she had just the thing to cheer Beth up — she was going to set her up with her good friend Johnathon.
Plans were made a few weeks later to have a group go see a concert together. It was there that Beth and Johnathon hit it off immediately and a few days later, Johnathon called Beth to ask her on another date the next week.
It was on that date that Johnathon talked excitedly about some news he received at work that day. He was a few months away from graduating from college and his boss called him into his office right before the end of the day to ask if he’d like to go to Germany for three years after graduation. The details of the offer were still to come, but from the way he was talking, Johnathon appeared to already be packing his bags in his mind.
Beth knew at that moment that she shouldn’t fall for someone who was probably leaving the country in a few months, but fall she did, and that proved to change the course of her life forever.
Not long after Beth and Johnathon began officially dating, Johnathon accepted the job offer to go to Germany. Because of this huge, life-changing move, he knew that if he didn’t do something even more life-changing, he was going to let the love of his life slip through his fingers.
So four months after they began dating, Johnathon proposed to Beth. She of course said yes, and despite the short amount of time they had been together, when they shared the news with everyone, most people were supportive since they decided to set their wedding date for a year and a half later on June 7, 2003 so that Beth could finish college.
This meant that the newly engaged couple would be spending a year and a half an ocean away from each other. So web cams were purchased and trips back and forth from Germany to Michigan — and vice-versa — were planned. The couple always appreciated the time they were together but it was always too short.
Finally, a year and a half passed and it was their big day. Family and friends from far and wide came to share in their joy. It was truly the best day of their lives, one that they would always treasure.
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In fairy tales, this is normally where the story ends, but you see, eight years later, and the story is still going strong. Beth and Johnathon have lived in Germany and since moved back to the states. Their life together is happy and fulfilling. They will always remember their wedding day, and equally they’ll remember the time they spent living in Germany and traveling through Europe. But ultimately, they continue to look forward to what other exciting adventures life will bring. That is what marriage is about, that despite the difficulties, you are always looking ahead and seeing a happy and contended future with the person you promised to love forever. It won’t always be “happily ever after.” There will be times when you wonder how you’ll get through that rough patch, but keep looking forward. The future should always be hopeful.
Happy (Belated) Wedding Anniversary on June 7th to Beth and Johnathon! What beautiful pictures and what a wonderful story! Thank you so much for sharing with us! Beth blogs at A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust — stop on by and congratulate her and her wonderful husband!