Letters, Lightsabers, and Love: Chapter 24

Levi and I married each other in June of 2012 after six months of head-over-heels, foolish-about-each-other love. Our story, like every love story, has its own sweetly unique moments and timings. We continue to marvel at the way God orchestrated our lives to bring us together, and though it included pain and trials for both of us before we met, we wouldn't change anything about it.

Everything that happened, and every way we grew, led us to this moment.

Levi is back in Minnesota and I'm still in Kansas. We're in love. It'll be another month before I head up north to visit him for the first time. How do we survive a month apart?

Chapter 24: Long-Distance Relationship

After Levi left my house, our lives returned to normal.

No, wait. That's a total lie!

We resumed our normal routines (breakfast-work-lunch-work-dinner-phone-sleep) after Levi left, but our lives had been changed after that eventful weekend. Now, we were using the word "love." Now, we knew that we'd found "The One." Now, we had to work on maintaining a Long-Distance Relationship.

It's one of those things that people always decry when giving relationship advice. Nothing is billed as harder and more impossible to maintain than a Long-Distance Relationship.

We came to our own conclusions about the whole Long-Distance Relationship thing:

1. It wasn't impossible at all.
2. It was actually very hard.

I'm not sure if having a Long-Distance Relationship (yes, I'm going to keep doing that every time I say that phrase) was easier or harder for us in this modern age.

On one hand, we had so many ways to constantly stay in contact with each other. We could text. We could message each other online. We could call each other. We could call each other and message online at the same time so we could share media together while also talking. We could Skype-date.

On the other hand, with so many ways to stay constantly connected came the expectation that we would do those things. And every constant communication with each other only served to remind us that we were far away and couldn't be in each other's presence. There was no chance to relax because I knew I wouldn't hear from him until his next letter could reach me. Instead, I was craving that next *beep* from my phone.

I became so dependent on that little device. Every little text and every little message was so important. I didn't relax at all during the day (not in a bad way--just from excitement) because I knew that Levi could send me some little thought at any moment. I'd often flip my phone open between classes just to see if I'd received a text. And if I had? Oh man, there'd be a skip in my step for a few hours.

What did we message each other about? What did we text each other?

Well, we were in that relationship stage where the love is so new and so exhilarating, you find yourself sending as many "sweet nothings" to the other person as possible.

I now present to you a small sampling of the "sweet nothings" we sent to each other in that month apart:

I sent Levi this insane video because we both liked cats. And because it was hilariously weird:



Levi sent me this gorgeous song by the group Buena Vista Social Club because he said that I laughed just like the piano in this song. He enjoyed describing my laugh at "tinkling."



I sent Levi this cute, little picture because I just thought that the LEGOs were too adorable. Also, I already knew about his deep love for all things LEGO.

Levi had his birthday during that month as well. I took it upon myself to craft a birthday card for him while on my planning periods at school. And, yes, I used crayons!

And then there are the texts. Sadly, I didn't write down all the text messages I sent Levi. Mostly, that's because mine were all in response to his.

Here is something I learned about Levi after saying "I love you" to each other:

He is an incurable romantic. He is also quite sweet and willing to be silly.

The texts he would send me would most likely make some women roll their eyes, but not me. Our conversations up to that point had convinced me that we would do well to spend the rest of our lives together. His texts after finding out that I loved him too? Those convinced me that we could be best friends for the rest of our lives.

I can't give you all the texts, mostly because of privacy, but also because there are far too many. I wrote them down on little pieces of paper and I keep them in a jar. That's one thing that I will never throw away.

But I can tell you some of my favorites. At least, my favorites from before we were engaged. So now, for your enjoyment, I present to you why Levi is my very best friend:

You're just my best friend. No one else comes close. 

Oh, you're so cute. Awfully, terribly, horribly cute. Atrociously cute. 

I bet Einstein never saw chemistry like we've got. (Blah, blah, I know Einstein was a physicist and not a chemist, but hey. It's cute.)

I hope your morning is off to a great start! You are a jewel. A very rare woman. And that's not just my perception. I'm speaking in absolutes here. I love you!

I'm feeling like a snack, but everything runs a distant second to your sweet cheeks. :(

I'm daydreaming of you too, Cupcake. Somewhere in the dreamscape our dreams are snuggled into one another. Also, I have no idea what "the dreamscape" is. :)

You know what I like? I like that I love you. And that you love me. I think that we should pursue that . . . The whole love thing. 

Well, I only know two directors. And Steven Spielberg is both of them. 

Mary Beth, before I met you, I was so very blessed in so many ways. And then God led me to you, and I am just overwhelmed with His grace. We are the children of an incredible God. 

I will love you every minute of tomorrow. 

----

Phew. It was a long month, but it was a sweet time. Our Long-Distance Relationship passed the test. Can't wait to share what happens next with y'all!



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