Don't Let the Test Deter the Decision (Part 2)

WAIT, DON'T READ YET!

Before you start, have you read Part 1?

Oh you have? Great, you can keep reading then ;D

Weeks and months, then years flew by as I embarked on the greatest adventure of my life. Returning home, I found the similar numb feeling I felt when I first left. It quickly faded as I spent the time I had been dreaming about, with my family. Then college came, too soon if you asked my mom but not soon enough in my opinion. Before I knew it I was back in Rexburg, Idaho. My "goal setting" training from the past two years stayed ingrained in me. I had a goal and was going to work at it. I was going to find a wife.

The second date I went on I knew she was special. Four months passed and I found myself taking the same seemingly long, both mentally and physically, walk to the Rexburg temple. Jessie’s hand was in mine. I gently squeezed her hand and smiled. We followed a path that was all too familiar to me. I felt much different this time. My walk wasn’t slow and heavy. My feet sprang as step by step she walked with me. Elated as I was, there was a grounding sensation that began to weigh me down. Pushing off the sensation we stopped at the granite bench. What was the sensation? Was it doubt? Fear? An answer to not continue? Or was it simply just the worry that the bricks would come raining down upon me again? Looking into her piercing blue eyes I smiled. The worries fluttered away with the wind. We faced the granite bench, facing the temple, and knelt together. My elbows began to ache as we opened up our hearts and future to our Father in Heaven. We weren’t necessarily asking what direction we should head, but rather if the one we joyously were embarking on was the right one. Rushing sensations filled my being. Familiar with the feelings now, I welcomed them with open arms. Saying my personal prayer of thanks I opened my eyes and with surety, looked at the face that would fill my future. We were getting married.

I immediately opened the steel coated umbrella--the bricks didn’t come! It was exciting to me. Maybe I had grown up enough to move past that.

            I struggled as I carried the hide-a-bed couch up the two flights of stairs to our apartment. Our apartment. The idea didn’t scare me. As I gratefully dropped the heavier-than-you-can-even-imagine couch onto our living room floor we thanked the family that helped us and both sat down on our couch. Our couch. In our living room. In our apartment. It was then I felt the familiar feeling of raining bricks as responsibility came crashing down on me once again. I caught each brick with grace. Sure, some hit me on the head but I had Jessie there to catch those bricks I missed. Together we were able to build a bigger mansion with those bricks than I could have ever dreamed of. I was familiar with responsibility and welcomed it like I would a bowl of Reese’s Cup ice cream. I turned to Jessie and smiled. She smiled back with her sky blue eyes and that beautiful smile I fell in love with nearly a year ago.