The Life of Bon: Love in a Snowstorm

Monday, March 11, 2013

Love in a Snowstorm



Today Greg and I have been married two years.

It's not a lot.

But for us, it feels like a lot.  It feels like we have conquered something, like we have been successful, like we should celebrate, dagnabit!

I wondered what to say today on the blog.  I could tell you how Hubs and I met, but I already did that here.  I could tell you how we fell in love, but I'm pretty sure I covered that here.  Let's see, I could always give out a bunch of advice about marriage since I am so wise in the ways of marriage now.

But no.  None of that quite seemed appropriate.

So instead I will tell you a story that isn't about marriage at all and yet somehow it is.

Last year we had Parent Teacher Conferences the last week of February.  I had to stay at the school until 8 pm and a big old snowstorm was moving through.  I watched out my window as the snow started innocently drifting down in the early afternoon, and then as it progressively got heavier, deeper, more ominous.  I had a 45 minute commute ahead of me.  In the dark.  In the snowstorm.  I kept looking at the clock.  Surely it was 8 already.  The minutes crawled on by.

About 7:45 the English head teacher poked her head in the room and said, "Bonnie.  The snow's really coming down, I'm worried about you making it home okay. Go ahead and go early- I'll cover for you."

So I packed up and trudged out to the car, wiped down the windshield and cleared off the hood that were already covered in inches of seemingly innocuous snow.  I put on my trusty gloves and climbed on in to my car.

The driving was slow and the roads were treacherous   I tried to go 25-30 mph, but then realized that would be too fast as my car was slipping and sliding, slipping and sliding.

It's a scary feeling losing control of a car.  Like you're too big for britches.  Here you are operating this big old machine that is quite powerful and incredibly dangerous and now you can't control it.  The car controls you.  Suddenly the tables are turned and it is so incredibly terrifying.  All you want to do is get out of that car and run for your life.

It wasn't until I turned onto Bangerter that I really started to freak out.  The three lane 50 mph highway was covered in snow.  There were no plows to be seen.  I couldn't figure out where the lanes were.  The snow was coming down so quickly and so heavily that it was difficult to see in front of you and straight up impossible to see the other cars on the road.

My phone was out of battery and suddenly I felt so very alone and wildly scared.  Where would I go if I wrecked?  How would I get home?  How long would it take Greg to realize that I was late?

It's hard to describe the terror of the night, especially to someone who has never driven in severe snow conditions.  "Hey!  I drove home in a snowstorm!  It was scary!"  It doesn't sound like a big deal, I get it.  But the reality was I was 40 miles from home with a car sliding all over the lanes, in sub freezing weather with no cell phone service.

I drove on, slowly steadily.  Hands on the wheel, ten and two o'clock, white knuckled leaning forward, straining my eyes to see admist the wild snowstorm.  I felt the car sliding beneath me, the wheels veering into the other lane.  I tried to not panic, to slowly turn my car into the right lane and not think about if there were other cars in the lane.

And then I was crying.  Tears just streaming down my face because I was scared and alone and so utterly helpless in that little corolla on a stormy night.

Throughout all of this I was kind of talking out loud/ rambling/ trying to strike some kind of deal with God.  I don't know that I could ever classify it as prayer, but it was definitely some type of communication.  And as I was doing this weird little communication with God I felt, of all things, an overwhelming love for Greg.

Greg.  If I could just get home to Greg, just make it through this storm.  If I could just be patient, and drive slow and be cautious and careful, Greg would be waiting for me.  I just had to make it 37 more miles, and Greg would be there to keep me safe.

This was the thought that calmed me down.  I was still scared, and the roads were still impossible to manage, but I just kept driving and thinking about Greg.  Keeping my eye on the prize.  Greg would be waiting for me, Greg would hold me and hug me, Greg would tell me I was brave and strong.

And two hours later, when I arrived safely home, he did.  He did all of those things.  He told me he was worried sick about me and what was I doing getting home after 10 o'clock on a school night?  And I told him it was so scary and the roads were awful and he said he understood, but he really didn't.  But I didn't need him to understand.  I just needed him to hold me and stroke my hair and to tell me he loved me and to never let me go out in a snowstorm again.

I guess in those moments of sheer panic, of absolute terror, Greg was a sort of safety yo me.  With tears running silently down my face, I thought about Greg and felt peace.  He was my calm, my protection, my literal safety from the storm.  If I could just get home to Greg, everything would be okay.

Now, I know this isn't that romantic.  There's no flowers or flirting or kissing.  But I guess that's not why I married Greg, and I guess that's not what I love most about him now.  It's that I know he will always be there to protect me, to take care of me, and to keep me safe from big, scary snowstorms.

How's that for an anniversary story?


P.S.  If you haven't entered this giveaway yet... well... you're going to want to.

42 comments:

  1. Um. This might have made me tear up. Maybe.

    Definitely. I think that's extremely romantic, and it's definitely what I think about love and my love for my fiancé.

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  2. ok, so snow is definitely the freakiest thing in the whole world.
    i hate, hate, hate driving in the snow.
    i never feel safe at all, and i just hate it.

    however, i love this story.

    K

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  3. Snowstorms suck, glad you made it home to Greg that night! Happy anniversary to you both!

    Stephanie
    www.violetlilacplum.blogspot.com

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  4. I love this post. Those are the moments when love means the most. Happy anniversary!

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  5. Wow this is the sweetest story! I live in Vermont and know how scary those snow storms can be

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  6. This is definitely a romantic story by my account! Glad to hear you made it safe, that is super scary!

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  7. This is a perfect example of real love and what it's all about! Happy anniversary girl!

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  8. I loved this post Bonnie!! I can sure relate :)

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  9. This was such a good story! Thanks for sharing! :)

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  10. I'm not tearing up... Those are just my allergies...

    I enjoy all your posts, but I love when you're raw and vulnerable. Thank you for opening up to your readers.

    Joyeux annviversaire du marriage!

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  11. I loved this, Bon! Thanks for sharing! There's only so much of the OMG I love my husband so much stories I can take. This was heartfelt and sweet. Happy Anniversary! XOXO

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  12. I love this! So sweet and so true. I only teach about 12 minutes from where I live. I teach in Springville and live near Center Street in Provo. But, there was a bad storm this year, heavier than I had ever driven in Virginia. Husband called me and told me to drive home safely. I drove about 15 miles an hour. It was scary, and my husband acted just like Greg. (Although yours was much scarier. I hate driving Bangeter/I-15 north even in the middle of day in summer!)
    But husbands are such a blessing. I am so glad to be eternally sealed to mine.

    morrellfairytale.blogspot.com

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  13. This is the best marriage post I've ever read. It strikes so many cords.
    Thanks for sharing a story that isn't roses and rainbows. Marriage is so much more than that.

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  14. I love this post. Marriage is beyond the flirting and kissing. Those are perks but to really feel that true love for someone and knowing that in any instance, the thought of them is enough to carry on in any "snowstorm" life may bring. It's amazing the true safety you feel when being with your companion. Thanks for sharing this!

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  15. Congratulations on two years! My hubs and I are coming up on two years in May! :) Love it!

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  17. awww such a cute story! and i just moved from chicago and definitely do not miss the snow;)
    p.s. found you through messy.dirty.hair.

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  18. Oh, I definitely think that is romantic. I think the world has a narrow view of romance. Sometimes, it isn't the butterflies and roses and candlelight dinners. Sometimes, it is the safety and security and comfortableness of loving someone and them loving you back.
    Beautiful story for your anniversary.
    Congrats on the two years! Here's to 102 more!

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  19. Snow storm is definitely the horrible thing I can imagine in my head in dark. Glad to know that you know the perfect meaning of marriage :)
    Congratulations for your anniversary!
    Aree With Umbrella

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  20. That is totally romantic. It's those everyday things that make real love, you know?

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  21. I teared up a bit just reading this. I admire when you write...it seems to just pour out like it was meant to be on paper. Thank you so much for sharing. :D

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  22. What a sweet story...happy anniversary! I HATE driving in snow, btw and I really hope the snow is done this year. Coming over from the Messy Dirty Hair giveaway but I'm already a follower :)

    -Sharon
    The Tiny Heart
    Avon Giveaway!

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  23. I TOTALLY get it. What a beautiful story to share on your anniversary :) And driving in the snow is TOTALLY scary. I will never forget a drive I made from Indiana to Chicago to get home from college for Christmas. I think my car slid out like nine times and once I wound up in a ditch. I was driving like 5 miles an hour, it took me like a BILLION hours and I couldn't see in front of me. IT WAS AWFUL.

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  24. Happy anniversary!!

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  25. Happy Anniversary, great post!!! I found you from Messy.Dirty.Hair :)

    Hugs xo
    Dinah
    www.sunshinesuperglam.blogspot.com

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  26. Happy Anniversary! This is so beautiful, and as a California girl living in Salt Lake I know the terror of driving in snow and feeling so out of control.

    I remember that night driving home from PT conferences. My story is like the opposite of yours. My husband wouldn't answer his phone and I was scared. When I walked in the door I saw him and started to tell him off. When I walked all the way into the room I got to meet our new bishop! I make such great first impressions. :)

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  27. I love this. Those little moments when you just remember how in love you are. Makes everything worth it. Happy Anniversary!

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  28. I think that that is far more romantic than roses any day. I absolutely love hearing about real love - true love, the kind of things you don't always see on tv or in books... things like this. Thanks for sharing, happy anniversary!

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  29. I love this! Your writing is beautiful. Perfect example of real love. Thanks for sharing, I needed it.

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  30. I'm here from Messy Dirty Hair, and I'm so glad I found you!! This story is so so so sweet! I love every part of it. :) I feel the same about my husband, and isn't it the best?! Happiest anniversary to you, my dear!

    xo

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  31. Happy anniversary! Such a good story.

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  32. Such a great story :) Doesn't it just make your heart happy!

    Stopping by from messy.dirty.hair :)

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  33. Bon, I'm already a loyal reader, but I'm just trying to follow the rules here..Kelly sent me! XO

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  34. I'm glad you finally made it home OK. I've been in those kind of situations, where you are at school late and they don't let you out (or work!) once it took 6 hours to get home and the last mile I had to take a snowmobile. It would have been great to have a hubby that the thought would have calmed me. Happy Anniversary! Two years - many ppl (at least stars!!!) don't make it that long - the rest is downhill!!! You are a cute couple!!! And you're both a "catch"!!!

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  35. woops - I got so caught up in your story - it was very gripping - that I forgot to tell you that Messy Dirty Hair sent me to you!!!!! Yeaaa!!!!

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  36. A couple years ago, I had something similar happen. I was driving home from my family's house early on Christmas morning, and about 30 miles from home, it starts pouring rain. So hard you couldn't see in front of you with the wipers on high and the water was starting to flood the interstate. All I could do was pray that God get him me home safely to my husband (who wasn't able to go with me); it was one of the scariest things I've ever done.

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  37. Happy Anniversary!!

    This is how I feel for my husband. Those moments when I think, I could die... I only think of him (oh, and the baby now!)

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  38. I love this post! Happy anniversary. Glad you've found such a wonderful love!

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  39. Funny how you mentioned this Bonnie...

    Um, you see here, on March 3rd I went through the EXACT same experience through Denver, but with a LOT more snow, more black ice, a few 360's in my car (with my 1 and a half year old son in the backseat, nonetheless), for several hours around gigantic turns on mountains that literally had more than a thousand feet below.

    The thing is, with that trip I took, I ended up listening to S Club 7 "Bring it Back" (Don't stop, never give up, hold your head high and reach the top, let the world see what you have got, bring it all back to you, etc etc etc) just to ease my OH MY GOD, I could die meeting the man of my dreams.

    Yes, I moved all the way from High Point, North Carolina to Grand Junction, Colorado to live with a guy I had only talked to for three months straight (endless phone calls, yahoo messages, the whole sha-bang!). And you know what, he's the most AMAZING guy ever, so the trip was totally worth it even though I was extremely freaked out the entire time because I was not only wrecking and doing 360's, but that I was an hour late meeting him.

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  40. Oh, and you can read the story here for more details ;P

    http://beautesombre.blogspot.com/p/krimzon-kittie.html

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  41. Awww I understand, been thru a scary night before, had to abandon the car and walk in a blizzard too. Also Sarah from messy dirty hair asent me!

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