Scene:

Chris and I head up to the airport earlier than normal because his flight is severely overbooked (due to Delta's attempt to fill up all flights in order to get themselves out of bankruptcy)and he wants to make sure he can get a seat. He checks in by 3pm, gets a seat, and we drive to the GAP Clearance store to do a little shopping. We head back to the terminal at 5pm and have our traditional Starbucks before departure. I have a green tea latte, Chris has a regular latte. We walk down to security and say our goodbyes knowing that this is the last time we will have to say long-term goodbyes at this airport. It is an extremely comforting thought to both of us. I watch him all the way through security; the removal of shoes and belt, the placing of the laptop inside the tray, etc. It's tradition. I stand there behind the rope and he and I make faces at each other until we can't see each other anymore. I start to walk away when I spot him again walking down the hallway towards his gate. He turns and waves and that's the last I will see of him for 49 days. I feel that burning behind my eyes and nose signaling that tears may be on their way, but nothing happens. I take a deep a breath, tell myself that there is no reason to cry anyway, and I walk to my car and drive home. It's only 49 days anyway. What is that compared to a lifetime with the man that I love and adore above all others? The next time I am at the departures gate in the Cincy airport, I will be Chris' wife and we will be heading to our new home together.

End of Scene

We met with my minister yesterday for another pre-marital counseling session. We always look forward to these. The first session we had last August, he showed us the results of a professional psychological compatibility profile that he has every couple take. We both took our parts separately and did our best to be completely honest about every question. Sometimes with those kind of tests you want to give your ideal answer which doesn't necessarily represent reality. We were thrilled to find out that our compatibility was very high. Our minister said that there weren't any red flags in our results that made him worry about our future marriage. What a nice thing to hear!! We are so committed to having a healthy marriage; it's great knowing that we can start with a solid foundation. Even the most compatible people have stressors that can tear apart a relationship. It's good to sit in these sessions and open up about our weaknesses so that we can be aware of any possible pitfalls in the future. For the first time in my life, I am truly excited about marriage. Not the "perfect" marriage, but a real marriage where we learn and grow together, give each other grace, and increase in our love for each other with God's help. It makes me smile. Of course, I don't think I have stopped smiling in over a year now.