When you grow up in the shadow of a loved one who has passed (see stories below), you can get lost in honoring their memory versus be brave enough to be who you were meant to be. Perhaps that is why when I was introduced to my husband, via a blind date, I was so immediately attracted to his story of growing up in his father’s shadow too. However, unlike myself, what was different was his confidence, easy laughter, and magnetic smile. I realized that our environments had been completely different – he had been raised watching fiercely independent women accept him for who he was and lift him up while I had been witness to a broken hearted man who was never happy and projected that unhappiness onto us, as if it was our responsibility to fix.
Thankfully, we had more in common and we married once he graduated from the Unites States Air Force Academy (class of 83) and we took off for a life in the military.
John and I have now been married for 35 years and we have two amazing adult children, Colleen and John. Our son married his college sweetheart and he and Caitlin now have our first grandson, Hank (who’s the smartest, cutest, child – EVER!) – yes, I’m biased. 😉
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