The Adventure Begins
Last week we were given the opportunity to sit down with a local radio station and share some of our stories. Sitting there remembering and discussing where we have been and the feelings and emotions we went through is sometimes something I have to stop and process. I was so young when I joined the Marine Corps. I no sooner graduated high school, went into the Corps, and got married.
It wasn't long after Tes and I got married that I ended up on my first deployment in July. What a whirlwind of emotions and life achievements in such a short period of time.
In July 2010 I deployed to Afghanistan and Tes decided she was going to stay in North Carolina. We had begun the process of purchasing our first home but with the deployment, I left and Tes was responsible for signing and closing on the house alone.
Things were going great! I had just arrived in Afghanistan when I had an email from Tes to call ASAP. She had found out she was pregnant shortly after I deployed. It was one adventure after the next!
November 2010
November rolls around and I am four months into my deployment. At the end of the month, we will also celebrate our first wedding anniversary. But four weeks before, I stepped on an IED (improvised explosive device). This left me laying in the dirt, coming to peace with death and asking God for forgiveness of the life I had been living. I told my guys to take care of Tes and our baby. Tell her I love her, I am sorry I didn't make it home.
We all know how this ends. I was given a second chance. I am still here and healthy as ever. Working hard at everything I do and have not only one daughter, now I have two daughters.
We Adapt & Overcome
We can do our best at making plans. We can set goals for ourselves and meet or fail those expectations we set for ourselves. In the end, regardless of our plans, God has the final blueprints. We can't always choose how we get knocked down, but we can choose how we stand back up. You can choose how you look at your situations and that will determine how good or bad your ride is going to be.
Before I take too much of your day I will stop here. If you want to hear more of my story I encourage you to check out our interview. I'll attach the link HERE.
-Zach