The tragedies that brought me my happiness

I tell this story often, but I thought why not write about it and put it into words? So here it goes: Jake and I's love story:

When my mim was alive, ( she's a whole other story) I did not want a relationship. My main priority was to take care of her and give her my all. She had stage 4 small cell aggressive lung cancer. I lived with her, took her to doctor appointments, chemo and radiation treatments. So I really didn't have time for a social life at that time anyway.

Jake and I first met at Steak n Shake when she was alive. She practically made me go hang out with my cousin Brittany and we ended up meeting some friends there. Jake says I had no interest or would not give him the time of day, but I remember glancing over a time or two. We left, but after that night I remembered his name for sure.

When my mim passed June 28th 2015, it was the hardest day of my life, still to this day. she wasn't just a grandma, but a second mom.

Eventually I started hanging out with friends again, and socializing more. My friend moved into an apartment right by my other lifelong friend and wanted us to come check out their new place. We went over and the rest is history, literally. Jake lived right across in the next apartment. A bunch of guys living right next to each other, what a party right? As soon as I heard he lived in the next apartment, I knew exactly who it was.

We hit it off that night. We exchanged numbers and never stopped texting. He asked me to be his girlfriend not too long after, and we dated for a few months. We broke up, and it shattered me. We were both in bad spots in our lives and it just wasn't working out at the time. I had just lost my mim so my heart was still broken by that. I took it hard.

Then comes the next tragedy. A car wreck. My friends and I were leaving my moms house to go get ice cream and possibly go frog gigging. Yes you read that right, frog gigging. It was dark and raining that night. We stopped at the light at 37 and Victor Pike. Once we had the green light, we headed across the highway. I was in the passenger seat at noticed head lights coming closer and closer. When I realized those headlights were not slowing down I yelled "They're not stopping." and my body automatically tried to move towards the drivers seat. Then it went black. I don't remember anything other than waking up in the hospital ER. I ended up with a fractured sacrum, and right pelvis. With multiple burns and scratches, and a hematoma and collapsed lung. The pain didn't set in until the next day. That is also the day I got a text from Jake. He asked if I was okay, and he heard that I was in an accident. We texted that day, and the next he was at the hospital and literally never left my side since. He stayed in the hospital with me, came after work and brought me food. I stayed in the hospital for a little over 2 weeks. With multiple weeks, that turned into months of therapy. I wasn't allowed to walk. I could not put any pressure or weight on my left leg or my sacrum would shatter. I learned how to walk again at the age of 20 and let me tell you, you don't know what you're body can withhold until you have to learn something you learned as a baby again. Tears, hardships, depression, and a great support system later, I was finally walking but with a walker. I didn't end up walking on my own for another month. When I came home from the hospital, Jake came with me. He moved into my room and helped take care of me along with my mom. He would set alarms to give me medicine throughout the night, help me up and down, and took me to every therapy appointment. I could not have asked for a better partner. We obviously got back together soon after all of this. He tugged along a walker and wheelchair for months, and never complained one time. I truly believe my mim sent him back into my life for a reason. She knew I needed him since I couldn't have her anymore.

We moved into to her house months after, and are still living here today. Jake proposed on New Years of 2017. He had my ring made with his Aunt Haddys 50th anniversary stone, and some other family diamonds. We got married at Whippoorwill Hill On October 6th, 2018. Whippoorwill Hill is the farm my dad grew up on, and eventually I did too. I would sit and watch him bale hay at the Tatum Farm and eat gold fish crackers. The old red barn is still up to this day, and the only place right for me to have my first look with my dad on my wedding day. The farm means so much to me, and even more since I got to marry the love of my life there.

I tried to make this short and sweet, and there is so much I had to leave out, but you get the point. It is also not easy to make it short when my struggles is what also brought me my happiness! Jake is 100% the best man I could’ve asked for, and I can truly say he has never left my side since April 21, 2016. If I can give any advise, it would have to be this: Don't settle. Find the one that fits your soul. The one that doesn't give up on you. I am beyond thankful I found mine. He literally carries me through this wonderful life with him. And I am blessed to still be here and be his wife! My favorite love story, ours. I give all my glory to God!