Saying Yes to Forever

Engaged. After 14 months of dating, we're engaged. It hasn't been easy, and I know that two people who aren't 100% perfect for each other could never make it through what we've been through. My relationship with Mr. Navy began as a fling, a "taboo" thang that made a lot of people very upset. Our relationship has gone full circle in the past 14 months. We began seeing each other every day, not knowing where we'd end up--to two months of boot camp where we couldn't even speak, to phone conversations and one visit every two months, to once a month visits, to every other weekend visits, to every weekend visits, to living together. We are now seeing each other every day, and haven't had that since we first met.

Living with a man is both glorious and gross. Saying yes to forever means you say yes to all of it, though. I am just finding this out. Saying yes to forever means I say yes to the back rubs but also yes to the gas. Saying yes to forever means saying yes to the passion and yes to the messiness. Saying yes to forever means saying yes to the funny jokes and yes to the annoying jokes. You say yes to all of it. I used to think maybe I could just take bits and pieces of him. I'll take the suaveness but leave the stink. Take the manliness but leave the dirty underwear left on the floor. I was so naive.

The glorious parts equal the gross parts in quantity, but definitely not in quality. The fact that I have this amazing, whole other person at my side at all times makes it all worthwhile. If you say yes to forever, and trust me---forever is a looooong time--you need to start to ignore the gas and underwear, and soak in the back rubs, the passion and the funny jokes--not to mention the way you feel when his hand takes yours, right when you were needing it...

Now comes the wedding planning-- saying yes to forever also means saying yes to a big wedding, and months of stressful planning. More to come.