I met Johanne the way most modern couples do these days – online. She was a Canadian transplant living and working at a prominent financial institution in Boston. She was single with no kids and no responsibilities beyond herself and her work. So, needless to say, it was a bit of a shock to her system having to adjust to the parental life I was leading. But she was more than game and soon our little trio became a quartet.
Our ten years as husband and wife have gone by so fast. We've done some many things together in such a short period of time. We raised two (now adult) older children and welcomed two additional (younger) children into the world. We traveled. We laughed. We cried. We went to Disney World. We changed jobs. We bought a house. We sold a house. And, we moved to Maine.
It hasn't always been easy. We argue as most couples do. Good communication has sometimes been hard to come by. She is Canadian (and a woman) after all. So there is that language barrier thing. But, I think our biggest challenges as a couple have revolved around how best to be a good parent. My biggest lesson learned in all that: A feisty teenage daughter and a new mom/step-mom (operating on just a few hours of sleep) is a very dangerous mixture to leave lying around the house.
Looking back now, Johanne had to give up nearly everything she had to become part of my almost fully-formed family. It was a tremendously self-less act on her part. And, the best thing is, I think that if you were to ask her now, she’d say that she’d do it all over again. At least I hope she would.
That’s the reason why I think this move to Maine has been so good for me. It’s given me a chance to help pay her back. To support her as she follows her dreams. And to let her know that, I too, would gladly do it all over again.
Beautiful tribute to an amazing woman!
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