I may not have much, but I've got it all

As most of you could probably tell from last week's posts, Branden and I enjoy a good laugh. We are always making each other crack up and are willing to be ridiculous in front of each other. You know the phrase, 'if you weren't laughing, you'd be crying'? That's probably very true for us, but we choose to laugh. Some days we do cry though. The pressure of no job prospects and fear that we can't manage this for 3 years has eaten away at the back of our minds despite making it for the past 6 months. The worst fear of all was the thought of me flying back to the States so I could work and sending the money over to Branden while he finished his PhD in Ireland. Even if he's gone for just a few hours for something, I am like a labrador who acts like he's been away for years!

I know a lot of people thought we were crazy and especially thought I was crazy. Branden and I had only known each other for a year and a half and had only been married for 2 months when I willingly and excitedly moved to Scotland with him, knowing full well that I would never be moving back to America again. I left all of my family, all of my friends, a good paying job, and just trusted in the plan that was laid out before us. I think that it was the best thing we could have ever done for our new married life.

We live halfway around the world from our families and friends so if we ever have a disagreement or frustration with each other, we can't just call them or run off to find support with them. We have had to work everything out on our own. I had never even had a roommate before we got married so having to figure out how to live harmoniously with my new husband in a foreign country, in a 400 square foot flat, and Branden having to deal with my anxiety and depression, was quite the challenge!

But we did it.

Branden's mom was chatting to us on Skype last week and said something that struck me. She said that all the stresses and crazy things we have had to go through already would tear up even 25 year marriages let alone our little 2 year old one. It really got me thinking because I knew that a lot of things we have gone through and are going through are things that have caused divorces...but I couldn't understand why. In all of what we face, the only stable thing I have on this Earth that keeps me sane is my husband. We may have nothing else in this world but we have each other and that is really all we need. I could not do this without him and he could not do this without me, so why in the world would I leave him???

Branden's mom opened my eyes to really see the miracle and blessing that we experience by drawing closer together through all of these storms instead of letting them rip us apart. Sure there have been many, many days where both of us have wished and prayed for life to be easier but when we see just how much love we have for each other and know that somehow we will manage to love each other even more tomorrow. We find peace in our storms and bless them for giving us a great foundation so we can make it until death do us part.