Moments of Impact

I really loved in the movie "The Vow" and how Leo describes "Moments of Impact." If you don't know what I'm talking about, here's the direct quote.

 



"My theory is about moments, moments of impact. My theory is that these moments of impact, these flashes of high intensity that completely turn our lives upside down actually end up defining who we are. The thing is each one of us is the sum total of every moment that we’ve ever experienced with all the people we’ve ever known. And it’s these moments that become our history. Like our own personal greatest hits of memories that we play and replay in our minds over and over again.”

 

Below are some of my own personal "Moments of Impact." Since it's late and I'll have a little girl waking up in about 6 hours to nurse, I will only briefly explain each. As days go on, I'll tell you a little more about each one individually.

 

 



Graduating High School

I graduated high school with the class of 2010. My entire life I was a part of the class of 2011, however, I was itching to move closer to my high school sweetheart, who was in the US Navy. So, I took a handful of college courses outside of school and managed to pick up an early graduation a few days after my 16th birthday. This moment was the beginning of my own adventure. It was the first moment of impact that I created all on my own. When I packed up my car and left for school in Virginia, my life certainly turned upside down. I went from living at home - free food, place to sleep, people always around to talk to, to living in a very large city where I knew no one besides my boyfriend. It was also the first thing I did without a single double thought or regret. It was the first time I truly followed my heart and helped me start towards who I am today.

 

First Comes Marriage...

November 26th, 2010 at the age of 17 and a half, I married my soulmate, Patrick. My parents fortunately were able to see the true love between us. We had been best friends, crushes, boyfriend and girlfriend and the love never stopped growing. They gave me permission to marry him, and boy am I glad they did. This moment of impact was a moment my heart will never forget. I still remember my sweaty and clammy palms as I walked the aisle. I remember my dazzling fiances smile as he turned to see me walking up the aisle. I remember the minister joking about how we had to wait until the end to kiss. On that day, I became one with my other half.

 

Then Comes A Puppy...

Patrick and I moved into our new apartment and the following day, he went out to sea. Fortunately, my mom had been on the search for a companion for me. Molly entered my life at the perfect time. Patrick was about to deploy within the next 2 months and his submarine was out to sea alot to prepare. My sweet little puppy weighing in at 4lbs when I got her was the answer to my prayers. Throughout my husband's deployment, we hardly parted. I took her grocery shopping with me, talked to her, watched movies with her, snuggled her at night and spent many hours walking and modivating each other to get sunlight. She was a godsend while my new husband was gone for so long. Without her, life would have been much, much harder.

 

9 Months Later, My Husband Came Home...

My heart was racing the day my husband returned home. I was terrified he wasn't going to love me, wasn't going to connect or click with me. It had been a long and difficult deployment, with very little written communication and very little time to hear each other's voices. However, our love was unchanged. We embraced each other and it was as if the sky had just exploded. I was no longer half a person, I was full. I was floating on a cloud and unable to let him go. I realized that there was nothing the two of us couldn't withstand. Deployment was the biggest trial in our life, and we won.

 

 

 Then Came Another Puppy...

We had decided to wait on having a baby so we could pursue a few goals and enjoy being young still. One night a few minutes to the mall closing we ducked into the puppy store to look at all the cute puppies before heading home. One little puppy starred at us with big, beautiful eyes from her pen as a Jack Russel Terrier jumped around and ran into her. The poor thing looked so lonely and unamused with the other dog. We asked a gentleman to let us hold her in one of the special puppy rooms. It was the move that brought our sweet, doe-eyed clutz of a puppy, Bailey, into our lives. She has been a comic relief in times of seriousness. She has been a soft cuddle since the day we brought her home. She is Molly's right-hand-dog and I'm so glad to have two sweet, loving dogs. Walking into that pet store was another moment of impact, bringing us a "baby" so to say.

One Week Later...

Ah, the famous "Plus sign." Bailey, as baby-like as she could be, couldn't keep the fever (baby fever, that is) away. We were swept away in excitement from this discovery. We wondered whether we would have a little girl, a little boy - whether it would have brown hair, blonde hair, black hair, blue eyes, brown eyes, big feet, little feet, my complexion, Patrick's complexion. For 40 long weeks we waited for our little one to arrive. But I will never forget the unbreakable smile I had upon seeing the plus sign. I placed the pregnancy test in a gift bag and told Patrick I had a surprise for him when he got home. Expecting a video game, candy or something of the sort, he ripped open the bag to find the positive test. And I still remember his smile and kiss. Another beautiful moment of impact. 

 

 

Then Came Baby...

On June 26th, my labor began. It wasn't until June 27th, at 2:11am, that I gave birth to the most precious thing in my husband and I's life. Evelyn Rose, 7lbs 11oz. When they placed her on my chest, it was an out of body experience. The living, breathing, crying, beautiful baby I was starring at had grown from microscopic size to a functioning human being, all inside of my belly. And now she was here. I think both my husband and I would agree, Evelyn thus far, has been the biggest moment of impact that we both shared. She has changed our everyday life, our hearts, our minds, everything. She is worth every tired morning, every night we don't go out anymore, every dream put on hold. She is the sun of our world. The miracle of being a parent has been the most joyous event in both of our lives.

 

 

Stay tuned for more "Moments of Impact" as our life goes on.