July 25, 2006

• Happily Married

  Hey there! Someone commented on a past entry that they read I was a single Dad- erm, not sure how that came across, however being a stay-home Dad does not mean I have to be single. I am happily married to Kat, my Wife, who is half a year my junior. She works very hard on our family’s behalf in dental insurance whilest I am at present caring for Conor. I could not get a comparable job right now, and if we both worked we would end up spending near as much in child care: and we refuse to let someone else care for our child.

  Anyway, just wanted to clear up confusion for those who do not know us well and visit here. Kat and I were friends for half a year, I asked her Father’s permission to court his daughter for the purpose of marriage- and courted her for half a year. I then unofficially, and later officially, proposed to her. We remained engaged (as planned) for two and a half years- we got married half a year earlier than planned, actually. All this time we lived four hours apart- she in NC, I in SC. Half a year after we married, in May, she graduated from NC state and then moved down here- it was the first time we were able to stay together in one place for more than a Summer. We originally met on AOL instant messenger- but there seemed NO possibility of romance ever happening, and it was God who brought about that aspect after we had known each other for some time. I believe this is proof that while the internet can be used to make many mistakes- God also uses it for good. I followed the advice of my Christian mentor and former Math teacher Cliff, the advice of my parents and family, the Holy Spirit’s leading, and also waited for the approval and consent of her Dad before we went forwards- and even then, we knew that graduating college was an aboslute must so we decided to hold to the long several year wait.

  I think that whenever someone pursues an internet-related romance that caution, patience, and seeking God’s guidance as well as the counsel of other Christians you believe give Christ-like counsel even when you do not always agree with it: these are crucial things to keep in mind. I knew that since I felt the feelings of love, it was important that I balance that out and not make any mistakes. Truly, our relationship was forged through many tearful partings and the dissapointment of having built up a strong bond only to have months apart wear it down again. By the time we married, it felt not that different than before- we really had no “honeymoon phase” but for us, that was natural and how it happened. Things also have only gotten better with time- no downwards slope, no “I wish things were like they used to be”. They are better than they used to be! Praise God. Oh, and we were both uniquely blessed- Katrina was my first real kiss (I say real, because I don’t think smooches at age ten really count) and I was hers. I never dated before her, nor she before me. And, by God’s grace, we were each other’s firsts in everything- saving ourselves for after marriage.

  Hope some of you got to learn a little more about us.

  -Patrick

  • 9:02 pm
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