For most of our engagement, Kyle was working the 4 a.m. to 12 p.m. shift at JCPenney, going to school in the afternoon, and attending Fire Academy from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
He would then proceed to do the 40-minute drive home, do homework, and get up and do it all again the next day (on maybe four hours of sleep).
He’d been recruited and had the opportunity to go to Fire Academy for free, so he did it just to add it to his resume. He was in school to work towards his dream career.
But he was a zombie.
My siblings still remember him falling asleep standing up in my parents’ kitchen.
Fast forward three years, and I’ve watched him graduate from Fire Academy, get a new job, work his way into a position that’s aligned with his degree (Computer Science), and continue working his butt off to get good grades in school.
None of this has made things easier on our marriage.
As we grow, mature, and work towards our futures together, we run into conflict. We’re young and immature. I don’t see him as much as I’d like. Sometimes he’s running off just a few hours of sleep, and that makes him a little . . . grumpy. Money is tight. I’ll never know what dorm life is like (though I don’t think I’m missing out on much). Setting aside time for each other is even harder when we have homework to worry about. It feels like we’ll be in school forever. And I could go on and on.
