In 2008 my husband was deployed in Iraq. He left when our son was 4 months old. My story isn't unusual; unfortunately it's quite common. This is MY story and if you'd like to keep reading I'll share a little of it with you.

I have to back up bit and give you a little background. I'm from Louisiana, well my parents are, and that was where I went to high school and college.  Just after graduating from college, one week after exactly, I received a phone call telling me that my little sister, Michelle, who lived in NY had Lyme disease. Michelle's doctors said she wasn't doing well and a family member should be with her. I was that person. I moved to NY and stayed with her and cared for her.

My sister started to get better. Michelle moved back to Louisiana and I stayed in NY, with the idea she would return. She did not.

After 14 years in NY I too move back to Louisiana. I was home, about 3 months, complaining to my sister that my choices for dates were slim where she lived.

So without my knowledge my sister decided to make a Yahoo personals profile with my info and picture. She then collected the responses.

It was an Easter Sunday. I'd already done all the family egg hunting, fuzzy bunny stuff. So I went home to check my email. Empty. No surprise, my social schedule had dwindled sine moving back to Louisiana.

I logged on to Yahoo personals; my sitter had gone through the effort of putting my profile together, why let it go to waste? After deleting the "less than truthful" I was left with only the one I had sent my information to. No reply.

How could I get his attention? Filled with the reality that we would never meet I blankly stared at my PC monitor. Absentmindedly I zipped the mouse around the screen. Then I saw it. What was that little happy face? It looked cheery and I was not. So I took my mouse over to it and "clicked" on it. Well I'll be damned if it didn't say, "ON LINE NOW". Clearly you can tell by now computers were not my thing. Still, I had the sense to open another page and Google yahoo messenger. Boy oh boy was I surprised to find out how that worked. After downloading the app I was up and running. That's when I made myself know to him.

In short, told him that it was EXTREMELY rude not to respond, and that I was offended. How did he think he was? I wasn't going to die if he didn't want to meet me but I did except to have the consideration o f being told to go away. His reply...

And I quote "lady who are you?" I've Never receive any messages from you".

My bad. Really? Not even one? Well that explains it somewhat, I guess.

We played Yahoo chess for a while and then he asked if I would like to meet.

Another 2 hour drive found me in the parking lot of PF Changs waiting for him to arrive. It was dusk and this wasn't my thing. What if he was like the other guy? I started to worry and thought about leaving. A blue Dodge truck pulled up in front of my truck, told you - I am country at heart, we both exited our vehicles. I was like, really? This can't go well, I should leave.

Too late...and THANK GOD. I could not believe my eyes. The man of my dreams walked around the truck and smiled at me. I was hooked. Since I wasn't sure he felt the same at that moment I took advantage and insisted on a hug. Cha- Ching! WINNER OVER HERE!!!

We have been together from that date on. I thank God daily for the love he showed me when he allowed us to come together.

This life I chose to live, the wife of an active duty Marine, has had its share of challenges. Stay tuned for more next week...