Ours was supposed to be an outdoor wedding at an antebellum mansion that thanks to Hurricane Danny had to be changed to an indoor church wedding in less than twenty-four hours. That day brought so much hardship with emotions high and nerves the worse for wear, we were convinced that the rest of our days would have to be smooth sailing. After all, "Best friends make the best marriages", don't they?
After we moved to college and got our first apartment, things changed between us, and it became apparent to me that the Hurricane that ruined our wedding day was meant as omen. Suddenly, we were no longer friends and lovers but instead roommates and mere strangers. Who changed first no longer matters. We were both responsible stifling love's eternal flame. Sometimes, the flame would flicker but more often than not it was rendered a smoldering ember. The years that followed were full of ups and downs, laughter and tears, joy and pain, and more "last chances" than could be counted on both hands. The times that we did get along and seemed to be making progress were usually sabotaged. I never quite fit the image his parents had in mind for the perfect mate for their son.
Many people express their sympathy to me over these events, but not I. I would not change what has happened. Granted, these years were tough, but the degree of personal growth I have accomplished is well worth the heartache. You live, you love, you learn...sometimes you love more and sometimes you leave.
