PROS

1. Grow up together

My husband and I have literally been together for over half of our entire lives. We’ve practically raised each other! We have influenced one another’s behavior for the better, and have had to face life as a team. I think it’s because we were forced to rely on one another that we made it to where we are today.

We began this journey on an even playing field. We were both ‘wet behind the ears’ and didn’t know anything at all. We both stumbled and got back up together, because we didn’t really know any other way. I think that played to our advantage.

2. Having children young

OK, I know what you’re thinking, and believe me I’ve thought the same thing once or twice before. ‘Babies having babies’ is not something we often hear touted as a positive aspect in life…or especially in a marriage! But in our case, having our kids young has played to our benefit.

Sure our patience was tried often, and we had to work twice as hard at our new marriage with kids in the mix. There were times where neither of us felt like we were doing anything right at all. But because we followed our own timeline, we used the energy that we had as young parents (energy that we SO wouldn’t have right now) and we funneled that through to our kiddos. And now? By the time we turn 40, both kids will have graduated from high school and we’ll still be young enough to navigate life with fresh perspective!

3. Youthful Exuberance (i.e. rose-colored glasses)

As teenagers, we have the benefit of not always worrying about the things we should probably worry about. We often go through life with ‘rose-colored glasses.’ We bounce back quicker and always feel that things will ‘somehow work out for the best.’ It can be a blessing and a curse, but in this case, my husband agrees that it played in our favor for sure!

We were much better able to look at every day as a ‘new day’ when we were starting out, and that made for clean slates and forward thinking. Our future never looked as bright as it did through those rose-colored lenses and, for us, it is because we wore these shades that our future together continues to be bright.

What about YOU? Did YOU get married young? What was your experience like? If you could offer one piece of advice to a newly married military couple, what would you say?