Welcome to Real-Life Love Stories!
This is the first feature story of many more to come! I hope these stories warm your heart, bring a smile to your face, and inspire you to love fiercely!
What originally started out as an Instagram post needed to become something more! I felt that I couldn't truly tell their story properly in one social media post, so here I am, starting off a whole new blog series all about real-life love stories!
Enjoy!
First up, we have Randi & Jesse.
"I admire so much about him, but also...
he annoys the sh*t out of me."
—Randi
The Beginning
Randi & Jesse met at an Irish pub in Calgary in 2002. Love at first sight? "Maybe, yes!" says Randi. Fast forward to today, and they've been married for almost 15 years now.
Randi and Jesse had their first child, Ellis, in 2008, and found out she was pregnant again when Ellis was 9-months-old. They welcomed their second son, Jenner, in 2010.
But of course, life can be like a rollercoaster with many ups and downs and Randi & Jesse are no strangers to the twists and turns that life can bring.
Facing Struggles Together
Life is messy. It's beautiful, it's ugly, it's everything in between. And when you're in a committed relationship, you can sometimes get thrown into the deep end and have to learn how to swim through it together. From dealing with post-partum depression, to Jesse's parents undergoing cancer treatments, the monumental loss of Randi's mother, as well as Jesse working far from home for long periods of time, the couple has faced their share of life struggles.
Randi says that since her mom passed, it has been the hardest 6 years of her life. "She filled the room with love, light, cackles, and a sense of calm everywhere she went. She was beautiful. There was something about her that so few people have - and she had it. Whatever 'it' is...she had it."
One thing that Jesse and Randi deal with on a regular basis, is the fact that Jesse works out of town, sometimes for 7 months at a time. "We miss him. He is a very involved father, and it is taxing on him to "miss out" on life with us. For me, the hardest part is burnout." shares Randi.
But through all of this, Randi & Jesse are committed to making their relationship work. Not only that, but they're committed to having a relationship that is thriving!
"Crib saved our marriage."
—Randi
Intentional Connection
Although Jesse is away for long periods of time due to his work, he and Randi prioritize spending time connecting with each other in the time that they do have together.
"Jesse calls each of us every single day - just to ensure he gets to hear our voices and have time alone with us. He misses a lot but makes up for it when he's home. We have coffee and play crib and a card game called Spite every single morning that he is home. It's the only way we like to start our day. Crib saved our marriage. It forced us to sit in the company of each other and talk things out."
Relationship goals - am I right?!
So what can we learn from this real-life love story?
What We Can Learn From Randi & Jesse:
If there's one important lesson that I would choose to pull out of their story, it's this:
Consistent intentional connection is key to a healthy, thriving relationship.
In this life, you will face trials. What matters is how we go through them. Take Randi & Jesse as an awesome example of a couple who puts their relationship first, despite time spent apart or living through circumstances that cause unbearable pain.
It's easy for life's hardships to pull your apart, but Randi and Jesse consistently put in the hard work to stay connected no matter how hard life can be.
It's through that hard work that you find the "worth it".
My Challenge For You!
I hope that this real-life love story inspires you to intentionally set aside time to connect with your partner!
Ask yourself this:
How can you connect with your partner today? Tomorrow? This week? All month?
Why not use the start of a fresh month as an excuse to commit to connecting intentionally?
I hope you enjoyed my first Real-Life Love Story feature! If you don't want to miss another story, sign up to my VIP Mailing List and receive each Real-Life Love Story straight to your inbox! I will also share snippets of these love stories on Instagram and Facebook.
