The Greatest Gift of Marriage Can Be Most Clearly Seen in Tough Times

By Fawn Weaver on Sunday, April 13, 2014

The Greatest Gift of Marriage Can Be Most Clearly Seen in Tough Times

Yesterday, I sat balled up on the couch, nauseous, and wanting nothing more than to go to go to bed and remain there all day.

It was a tough day.

Hormones pumping through my body, a combination of Clomiphone and estrogen.  Our third fertility treatment would happen tomorrow so excitement abounded.  But first, I needed to get through the nausea of the day.

As always, there he stood.  My knight in shining armor.  My best friend in this life.  There he was to encourage me, to hold me in his arms.  To remind me that everything happens for a reason and although our journey to parenthood has been a long and windy road, it’s all been worth it.

We’ve grown from the challenge.  With every failed pregnancy test, we’ve reassured each other that if it is meant to be it will happen.

When we weren’t sure if having children on our own was possible, we decided to adopt.  When we met the pregnant mother of our soon-to-be adopted daughter, joy filled our hearts.  

Months later -after the baby’s room had been painted a beautiful shade of jasmine yellow, plush carpet we’d spent time rolling on in the store was installed, and the sturdy hand-me-down baby crib from our godson was brought- the child’s mom decided to keep her child at the last moment.  

We were stunned.

We all drove to San Diego -Keith, me and Keith’s parents- to go to the doctor with the woman who was carrying our soon-to-be adopted child.  We were excited to see the ultrasound of the baby we would soon be taking home.  Instead, we returned to Los Angeles with empty hearts, following a call from the agency to advice that the mom had decided to keep the baby.

It was her child to raise.  We respected her decision.  And then resumed our attempts of conceiving with the help of a fertility doctor.

Now, a couple of failed attempts later, I sit on the couch writing this post full of hope.  I am hopeful that the child I’ve longed to have for more than 16 years, has been conceived.  When the doctor looked at all the healthy eggs my ovaries released today (thanks to the added hormones), he assured us that we’ve got a great chance of a child coming alive in my stomach this month.

I don’t know what will happen.  I won’t know for several weeks if this fertility treatment worked.  What I do know is no matter what happens, Keith and I will just keep trying.  And while we’re trying, we will continue loving.

We’re a team.  Sometimes we win.  Sometimes we lose.  But whatever we do, whatever we experience, we do it together.  Every desire, every hope, every dream – they are ours to desire, hope and dream together.  And if we weren’t meant to have children -that is God’s decision to make not ours- we decided long ago that we would be perfectly happy with our family of two.

There are many wonderful things about marriage, but this remains my favorite: having a partner on this road called life.  This is, I believe, the greatest gift of marriage.  And although tough times may cause us to grapple with some loses, as long as we do it together, we will prevail in the end.

The journey is, at times, full of ups and downs, twists and turns, winding roads and potholes.  But we’re on this journey together.  We are a team.  We will win together.  We will lose together.  And in the end, if we can remain a team, we will be victorious.

If we can remember that two are better than one and a team in sync will always win, child or no child, we will succeed. In the end, for those who stay the course, you always win.

Until tomorrow…make it a great day! 

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THE BOOK For other secrets of couples happily married, and how you can be too, make sure to check out the Happy Wives Club book.  I traveled to 12 countries on 6 continents, interviewing couples happily married 25 years or more, with 1 mission only: to figure out what makes marriages happy.  It’s a marriage book line none other you’ve read before. I guarantee it.

Fawn Weaver is the USA Today® and New York Times® bestselling author of Happy Wives Club: One Woman's Worldwide Search for the Secrets of a Great Marriage, adopting the same name as the Club she founded in 2010. The Happy Wives Club community has grown to include more than 900,000 women in over 110 countries around the world. When she’s not blogging or working on her next project, she's happily doting over her husband of nearly eleven years, Keith.

 

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  • Lauren Lawson

    Oh my friend. I sit here in tears because I know your pain. I admire both of you for the courage and leap of faith you are taking. Thank you for being brave and sharing with us! Praying for you guys!! <3

    • http://www.happywivesclub.com/ Fawn @ Happy Wives Club

      Thanks, Lauren! The wonderful thing is we find great solace in knowing our family of two is more than enough.

  • The Baby Mama

    I had goosebumps reading this. Then I had to read it again. And for a third time. There is such a profound truth in what you have written – in that no matter what happens, or how it happens, or doesn’t happen, you and your husband are meant to walk this life together. He is not the enemy as our husbands so often become when things don’t go our way. I do wish and pray that all your prayers will be answered. And I am grateful that you do share this most amazing gift of your marriage with all of us = to encourage us and to inspire us. How amazing is that!

    • http://www.happywivesclub.com/ Fawn @ Happy Wives Club

      Thank you, thank you, thank you! If I have inspired one person to live out the marriage of their dreams, each day, then I am happy to close my eyes and go to sleep at night. Because my purpose in life, at this moment, is this.

  • http://intentionaltoday.com/ Ngina Otiende

    Thank you for this Fawn: This is my favorite part about marriage too: “having a partner on this road called life.” Blessings to you and Keith

    • http://www.happywivesclub.com/ Fawn @ Happy Wives Club

      We are so fortunate, Ngina, aren’t we?

  • Mary

    Good luck this time around. Know that God is in charge and His way will always be made.

    • http://www.happywivesclub.com/ Fawn @ Happy Wives Club

      Thanks, Mary! Absolutely. Agree with you 100%.

  • http://www.osasandgodwin.com osas R.

    Hey Fawn,
    i am beginning to sense that you are letting your guard down in the past few days, this is getting real and personal now.i admire your courage……
    The expectation of the righteousness cannot be cut off
    the lord will do exceedingly,abundantly,above what you think of or imagine..
    NOT that you are sufficient of yourself, your sufficient is of GOD
    My favorite bible verse…hope it help?
    hold on to your faith. I BELIEVE THIS IS YOUR TIME

    Love.
    Osas

    • http://www.happywivesclub.com/ Fawn @ Happy Wives Club

      Thanks, Osas! Yes, I try to be vulnerable with the HWC community all the time. Sometimes the posts are light and airy and sometimes a bit more weighty. Just depends on how I feel at the moment I write it :) . But my hope, above all else, is it will be encouraging to all those who stop by this page. <3

  • BC

    Praying for you & Keith!

    • http://www.happywivesclub.com/ Fawn @ Happy Wives Club

      Thanks, BC! I called my sister today and she picked up the phone, “Do we have any babies yet?!” Love the support.

  • Toni P

    What a beautiful read Fawn. I love that you shared so openly… I am sending a big hug over the ocean. Bless you, bless, you bless. My hopes for some baby love.

    • http://www.happywivesclub.com/ Fawn @ Happy Wives Club

      Thanks for sending your hopeful thoughts our way. We accept them! <3

  • Christine St.Vil

    Fawn, I admire you for so many reasons, and your transparency is one of them. And while this post brought tears to my eyes, it also brought joy in my heart because you and Keith truly exemplify what it means to be a team in marriage. Thank you for sharing your story because there is so much wisdom in this post, and I will most definitely keep you both in prayer! Sending love and hugs to you!

    • http://www.happywivesclub.com/ Fawn @ Happy Wives Club

      Thank you, Christine! We appreciate you. <3

  • Pamela Thorson Nikodem

    Open hearts hear the beat of those who genuinely give of themselves. This gift of transparency is one that keeps giving. Each woman that reads your words and connects with them can take something away that will better her life. We may not ‘win’ in how we want life to roll, but when we work as a team, we truly win beyond measure. God blessed me with a man who loves me so much and strives to demonstrate that in all he does. We have our moments and struggles too, and right now he has been my knight as I have been healing through my broken elbow from January. You see, these little bumps are lifting us closer. And when I read what you share, I realize my story can do the same thing. This transparency is what I Have chosen to share as well. Thank you, Fawn, for you!

    • http://www.happywivesclub.com/ Fawn @ Happy Wives Club

      Thank you so much, Pamela! I appreciate your kind note.

  • http://thewordofanerd.com/ The Word of A Nerd

    Fawn a friend of mine shared this post with me and it gave me chills and brought tears to my eyes. I know all too well the feeling that you have and what it is like to walk this road with your husband. When facing infertility its so important to be a team, because this thing can break a marriage if you are not determined to stick together. But when you are determined and Christ is the center the beauty of a marriage prevailing over hard times brightly shines. Thank you for being so honest and sharing, I have not always shared my journey until God put it on my heart to do so just last year. My husband and I went through countless cycles of clomid, injectables and IUI, we took a break and I somewhat gave up. We had to get grounded in the Lord and take time to work on just us. After years of never believing we could afford it we did IVF in March. God paid it all spiritually and physically. After 8 years we finally heard those words and to God be all the glory for every single step we took to get here. You are in my prayers and I began reading your book during my recovery from egg retrieval a sweet friend sent it to me.

    • http://www.happywivesclub.com/ Fawn @ Happy Wives Club

      SO excited for you!! What a journey you and your husband have been on. And through it all, if it made you stronger, you know it was all worth it.

  • http://www.lauraradniecki.com Laura Radniecki

    Oh wow, Fawn. This is a beautiful, raw post. Thank you for sharing your heart.

    The way you approach this trial is absolutely amazing. Most people pull away from their spouse, and the hurt and struggles tear them apart. It is incredible to see you and Keith instead growing closer together because of the trials.

    My sincere prayers are that God-willing, you two are able to become the parents you have wanted to be for so long. But in the event that parenthood isn’t in your future, I am reassured and happy to know that you and Keith will continue to love each other and cherish the life you have created together.

    God bless you!

    • http://www.happywivesclub.com/ Fawn @ Happy Wives Club

      Thank you, Laura! And yes you are right. We are enough. :)

  • Kayla Lopez

    WOW! God works in mysterious ways reading this days before Mother’s Day gives me courage of facing the obstacles upcoming, its so amazing how our stories are so similar my husband and I have only been married for 3 1/2 years but I understand you perfectly. I will be keeping you in my prayers and you’re post is helping me cope with my infertility battle.
    Thank you & God Bless you.
    Blessings