My husband and I met in 1994, via the internet, and those first few weeks were a whirlwind. We just couldn’t get enough of each other; talking on the phone into the wee morning hours. Sometimes we’d even fall asleep, only to have one of us wake up to the other snoring.  Ok, so it was Michael waking up to my snoring, and it’s still that way.  I often hear:  Mishelle, baby, you’re snoring.  Roll over.

Those long phone conversations formulated our relationship. We fell in love with each other before even physically meeting. There are many times that I am thankful for this, for falling in love this way was our blessing.

Over the years we didn’t have to connect in any other way than the usual. I’d see him off in the morning, I’d greet him upon his return home.  Occasionally we’d talk on the phone to figure out if we’d order a pizza or pick up some Chinese.   Life just got hectic after three kids, all born in a row, and the phone conversations waned. Not the love, just the reaching out in various ways.

Then in 2004, together, we decided that Michael would change careers from the field of Internet Technologies to Professional Pilot.  We knew what this would entail. There would be many hours spent apart.  There would be days and weeks spent only communicating through phone and email.  So, yet again, we were catapulted to a place where we had to be resourceful about our love.   Enter cell phones and text messages and email and, of course, blog posts.

I could easily sit here and say woe is me because my husband hasn’t come home for dinner from his traditional nine-to-five job, but I’m not because I just got a text message that contained three little numbers.

1 4 3

I – one letter
LOVE – four letters
YOU – three letters

And for right now, that’s all I need to know.

Love is what you make of it. It’s not easy and it sometimes hurts.
Love is a sacrifice. It’s salty tears of joy and of sorrow.
Love can be rich and bountiful. It’s hard work, but the benefits are constant.

[Mishelle Lane is the author of Secret Agent Mama.  She's been married to her soulmate, Michael, for 13 years, and together they have four children.   He's salt, she's pepper, and they go great together!]