A man who loves his family

In middle school and all the way through high school I wasn't really interested in having a boyfriend, I was more into hanging out with my friends and just having fun - OK, and shopping. I carried this mentality through college. I did date a few guys here and there but no one really stuck around, and there was certainly no one to write home about. I remember when the guy I was dating my freshman year of college broke up with me; I didn't even cry. We ordered a pizza and hung out with his roomie, and our relationship continued as friends. He started dating another woman, who is now his wife, and I didn't mind at all.

I've always been a pretty independent person so I just have never felt like I HAD to have a guy in my life. If I had friends, I was good.

I never really thought about what I wanted my future husband to be like. I never wrote down a list of qualities or cared whether a guy had blond hair or brown hair. I don't have a journal full of sappy love letters that I never gave to someone, or pages and pages written about my broken heart. What I do have is a ton of friends from all different walks of life, lots of great memories with pictures to prove it.

When my brother-in-law, Joe, came into the family it was like he had just been on a long vacation or something. He fit in so naturally, and we all instantly loved him. There was never a doubt that he was my brother and I think sometimes I text more with him than I do with my own sister. (Granted, he works out of his home so he is more accessible than she is, but still.)

I decided then that my only requirement for my future husband was that he had to love his family and love my family.

Fast forward about five-six years.

I didn't know much about Sean's family when we first started chatting, other than he had a sister who liked good music and they would go to shows whenever they had a chance. I knew his Mom and Aunt would come down to go shopping in Nashville and then they would meet up with Sean for dinner. I knew his brother and Dad were big Yankee fans, just like himself. And I knew that his sister-in-law was expecting the first baby of the family.

He invited everyone down for a weekend in Bloomington, and everyone came! I remember thinking how wonderful it was, how funny everyone was, and how it just felt right being around them. I remember posting on Facebook after they all left that I hadn't heard that much laughter in quite awhile.

I am blue. He is purple.

Now, three years after that weekend, with all the ups and downs that life has thrown his family, I've been reminded again that he meets my one basic need in a man.

He loves his family.

His grandmother has been very sick, and will begin her journey to Heaven any time now. She isn't awake, but she hasn't fallen asleep. His Mom let him know that he didn't have to make the five hour trip, that she wouldn't know he was there anyways.

He made the trip anyways.

He loves his family.

And the best part - I love his family, too.