In August of 2018, Instagram, of all things, brought me one of life’s greatest blessings, a life partner. While wasting time on a random weekday, I stumbled across one of Mackenzie’s posts relating to mint chocolate chip ice cream. Me, being a fan of the flavor myself, had to message her about it. After spending some time discussing one of life’s toughest decisions (favorite ice cream flavor, of course), we agreed to go on an ice cream date!

It would be impossible to talk about Mackenzie and I’s relationship without mentioning distance. We got to go on one whole date before I began football camp at McDaniel College where I was busy from 7 am until 9 pm. We got to hang out only two more times before Mackenzie went to school at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. I did not see it at the time but looking back I see God’s hand in our relationship from the very beginning. Six hours away, both new to college, and only going on three dates is not the most successful recipe for a long-lasting relationship; however, the connection that Mackenzie and I both shared was enough to propel us forward.

At the time, I was balancing being in the full swing of football season and being a full-time student, and Mackenzie was doing the same with basketball practices and her course load as well. Despite both of our busy schedules and every reason for us to let the relationship fade away, Mackenzie and I found time to FaceTime every night. On the weekend of October 13th, I was on my bye week and got the opportunity to go to Connecticut for the first time and visit Mackenzie at school. It was that weekend that we started officially dating!

Over the years, Mackenzie and I have experienced so many special milestones. I remember going to Philadelphia and watching Mackenzie play in her first Division I basketball game. I have such fond memories of rushing home after practice to watch her games! Shortly after, Mackenzie came home for Christmas. Although she only was home for a few days before having to return to school for basketball, it was the most time I had spent with Mackenzie consecutively, and it was the first time I realized I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.

After that Christmas, the distance became easier and harder at the same time. It was easier in the sense that we both knew we weren’t wasting our time with each other; however, the closer we grew together, the more the miles apart hurt. Mackenzie and I did everything we could to see each other as often as we could. I would come to every game that my schedule with football and wrestling would allow, Mackenzie would come home every weekend she was able to after her season, and we would spend a short few weeks together while Mackenzie was home in between summer training sessions at school. Although the cumulative time spent together was not much, we soaked up every second.

When the pandemic hit, it also dramatically changed our relationship. We spent every day together throughout quarantine and spent more time together than we ever had before. Although the pandemic was obviously a terrible thing, it gave us our first opportunity to truly experience each other’s company and build a routine together! Spending all of this time together at once came with a few extra fights at first but ended with us being the closest we had ever been.

The last major hurdle we jumped came with the news that I had to attend graduate school in Los Angeles, California at USC. We were certainly no strangers to distance but driving up to see Mackenzie play on the weekends and FaceTiming in the same time zone was now no longer an option. I believe this to be one of the greatest challenges that our relationship has faced, but also one of the greatest battles our relationship has ever won.

The miles between Mackenzie and I were not enough to keep me from falling so deeply in love with her. Not many people know Mackenzie the way I know her. She is a fierce competitor and possesses one of the strongest work ethics I have ever witnessed, but many people already knew that. She also holds humble and wholesome virtues and morals that so much of our generation has lost; but many already knew that, as well. What many people don’t know about Mackenzie is that she has an indescribable gentle presence that can soothe anxieties and melt hearts. She is the most thoughtful human being I have ever met, and she makes anyone she speaks to feel like they’re the most important person in the whole world. Mackenzie is the most wonderful woman I have ever known. We will spend five years apart before we get married, and I would wait five more if that is what it took.

March 25th, 2022 has been the happiest day of my life thus far and it’s when I made the smartest decision I have ever made and asked Mackenzie to marry me. Hearing her shout “Yes! Yes! Yes!” while she jumped up and down made my heart happier than anyone could ever know. Mackenzie has changed my life in more ways than even she knows, and I wanted to write our story from my perspective so that you all can get a glimpse of context into why Mackenzie is the joy of my heart. This may sound like a redundant and sad love story of two people who forced themselves to push through year after year of long-distance struggles and it just so happened to work out; however, I see it as a triumphant story of two people whose love for each other endured battle after battle and came out victorious. Mackenzie and I are fighters, and we will continue to fight for each other for the rest of our lives.