I was sitting on the flight deck staring out the window into the open blue sky. Next to me was my good friend and First Officer, Moose. We were six miles above our tiny blue planet and for the third day in a row, we were westbound in the afternoon, chasing the sunset. The sun falls more slowly when you are lucky enough to be chasing it at 400 miles per hour. It reaches the edge of the earth and lingers there for awhile, dwindling on the horizon as if performing it’s encore, dancing its way through flaming oranges and silver-laced crimsons.

Our fuel gauges are following closely with our planned fuel burn and the ride is smooth. There is little to do but share ideas and enjoy the view. We learn about each others families and I mention my marriage. I am proud of it. It is something that I treasure.

Moose speaks up, “I believe love is a choice.” The statement strikes me as simple and profound.

When you make the choice to love someone, you give that idea value. It becomes important to you. You guard it.

I have been married now for over fifteen years. I have often wondered and tried to define what the secret sauce is that bonds my wife and I so well. I’ve never been able to really put my finger on exactly what that is.

We are not the same people that we were at eighteen when we giddily stood beside each other in a small country church and said our vows. Not only are we different now but we have changed many times over the years. Military, deployments, traveling jobs, new surroundings, new goals, new challenges, raising children.

I think I may have finally stumbled onto the how of  “Us.”

Choice. We choose each other.

We choose each other again and again.

When you choose someone or something, you give it value. You guard it.

At first you fall in love and then when you are grown up, you choose to love.