Love stories come in all forms. But some stop you in your tracks at amazement more than others. When I first read about how Scott and Colleen met, I cried. The tears were a mix of emotion of sad then happy tears, with an added dose of humble pie mixed in.
In 2006 Colleen was married once before to Anthony. That year they experienced the birth of their son, then 2 weeks later Anthony was deployed over seas. In 2007, in the last month of Anthony's deployment the tragic news hit. Anthony gave the highest sacrifice with his life, all while defending our freedom. I can't help but think about the whirlwind Colleen and family went through during this time and the amount of strength one person must poses to find a way to pick up the pieces and put one foot in front of the other. The sacrifice is not only overseas. It is at home too. And Colleen is one example for what many in our country have faced.
In 2008, Colleen attended a memorial ceremony where her husband and many others were being honored. There she met Scott. Scott and Anthony had been in the same platoon for a short while. They began a friendship that stayed steady until 2013 when they finally looked at things a little differently. They began dating, with many long distance Face time calls and trips to see each other plus a deployment only 7 months after they began dating. After deployment they committed to seeing each other every 2 weeks and then finally Colleen moved to be with Scott. They got married in the courthouse in 2014 and this year they celebrated their love and marriage with friends and family.
So does everything happen for a reason? Is there such thing as fate? Do angels really watch over us and pull strings to provide us with what we need? Are people put into our lives at just the right time? The love story of Scott and Colleen with surely make you wonder if you are not already a believer.
I can't end here without first saying that being in the presence of many men in uniform that day sure did make me realize I was in the presence of heroes. Real American heroes. We see them on the news, we read about them online but this day was different. Thank you Scott and Colleen for giving me the honor of capturing your wedding day. Your love is inspirational and I can't wait to see the beautiful things this life will continue to bring you! Thank you both for your service!