Usually, when we see a blog title like this, we envision one of two things — a wedding or an older couple. This is not about newlyweds with naive plans and expectations, nor is it about a couple who has stuck it out through thick and thin for fifty years. This is about true love right in the thick of it.
This is Kayla. She is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. She can also be a spitfire, so don’t make her mad.
This is John. He is loving and gentle, but those eyes don’t lie. He is mischief waiting to happen.
John met Kayla when he was in 8th grade. I am pretty sure it was love at first sight for him. I would be the first to pooh-pooh love at first sight, especially in one so young, but that is the only way I can describe it.
From the day they were both old enough to officially date, they have been a couple. They dated through high school. They dated through college. By the time they got engaged, they had been dating for nearly 10 years!
Like most newlyweds, they had their financial struggles. Their first home was a drafty rental house with unlevel floors, an outdoor laundry room, and doors that didn’t always close properly. Some would call it a hovel, but it didn’t seem to matter. I never heard either of them complain about it. Kayla quickly turned it into a charming home, and they entertained friends there frequently. It was a center of love, warmth, and friendship.
John and Kayla have just passed their sixth wedding anniversary. Now that doesn’t sound like a blog-worthy milestone. What inspires me is not that they have been married for six years, but that after sixTEEN years of being a couple, the spark and sparkle are still there. They still speak to each other the same way. They still talk about each other in the same loving way.
I have always tried to teach my children that true romance is not about hearts fluttering and flowers (although John does still bring home flowers on the regular), but about love, and devotion. True romance is in the mundane tasks like doing laundry for your partner because they are too tired, too busy, or just too overwhelmed to do it. Romance is about putting someone else ahead of yourself and not expecting recognition for it. Romance is easy when you are first married, but to see it lasting after being together for sixteen years (or even 60 years like my parents) is truly heartwarming.
In a world where everything seems to be falling apart, here is a couple who are holding it all together.
Congratulations, John and Kayla! It looks like you are well on your way to your happily ever after.
To see more from Leona Waters Photography, visit my website http://www.leonawaters.com. You can also find me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Leonawatersphotography
