Family

It's been a while since last I posted here, and much has happened. In all honesty I don't know where to begin. Classes, sims, camping, jet skiing, date nights with the wife, studying. The list goes on and on. Every time I sit down to write about my time here, I have a difficulty in knowing where to start. See, so much happens each week that by the time I have sat down to type, I barely remember what has happened. So this week, rather than providing a play by play, I will share just a couple experiences, and some thoughts I am having. Unfortunately these experiences are not very uplifting.

The first experience was a conversation I had with a classmate of mine while riding stationary bikes at the gym. While we were riding she asked me if Ashley and I had ever lived together before we got married. Needless to say I said we had not, and began explaining why we had chosen not to. As we talked, I was struck by a couple of things. First, I could not believe how many different justifications she tried to give to living with someone you're not married to. The second thing that struck me was a comment she made at the end. She said that she wished she had the convictions that I had about what marriage is supposed to be. I tend to forget that not everyone has the beliefs that I and Ashley have. And it broke my heart. As she said those words, I could see in her eyes a longing for truth. I could tell she really did want those convictions, and to believe. She wanted to believe that two people could be married forever, that they could love each other and trust each other. And, yet, something else wouldn't let her accept it.

The second experience happened last night. Ashely is back in CA for a week and so I went to the officer's club with the fella's last night for a beer. As I stood there I looked around and noticed that there were two types of guys there. There were the single guys who were in flight school (and the married guys whose wives were out of town), and there were the older higher ups. I asked around as to how often they come and was shocked to hear that these guys were here every Friday night from 6-11 or 12, just drinking the night away. What really struck me was the knowledge that these men have wives, and kids. They have families. They work 12-14 hour days (sometimes more), 5 to 6 days a week. And here they are at the bar rather than at home with their families. This bothers me, a lot.

So what makes me write about these two particular instances you might ask? Well the answer is simple. Being married makes you think about this family stuff a lot more. I am so so grateful for the family life that I have had all my life, and the example my parents have been. They have given me a great base for what it means to be a spouse and a parent. They have helped set the foundation for my convictions and beliefs. Having a family in this world is going to be an interesting endeavor.