06/15/2026
The day before this, I told Chad that “Here Without You” by 3 Doors Down has always held a special place in my heart.
During the longest deployment of our marriage, Kevin was gone for an entire year. We hadn’t seen each other, and in one of his letters, he wrote the words to this song and dedicated it to us. Through deployments, military service, my career as a flight attendant, and countless miles apart, this song became part of our story.
So imagine my surprise when the very next day, Chad started singing it at the winery with both of us standing there.
I was holding back tears the entire time.
As I listened, I couldn’t help but think about all those years apart, praying for one another, missing each other, and loving each other through the distance. The miles were real, but our love never wavered.
And then there was our son, singing the song that had carried his mom and dad through so many seasons of separation and reunion.
Some moments are just gifts from God.
This was one of them. ❤️