Trip To The Altar: Marrying A Man At War
If you’ve been following the site for a while you know that once a year we pick a soon-to-be bride and chronicle her trip to the altar. As spectators we get an inside look at the highs and lows of pulling together the biggest day of their lives. This year I personally selected a good friend and former coworker Cherise Adkins. She’s been a big supporter of the site (even pre-engagment) and you could find her and fiance Darius at any event or screening that we hold in the DC area.
When I first approached Cherise we talked about her fiance Darius who was serving in Afghanistan at that time and how sharing her story of being engaged to a man that was deployed would give a candid look into military marriages. Well, on July 18th I was shocked to read a FB status that Darius had been seriously wounded in Afghanistan by an IED while on patrol. In total 7 were injured and two were killed during the explosion.
Immediately after hearing this I asked our Facebook Fan Page to pray on the behalf of Darius, this couple and their family and of course our online family answered the call from around the globe. I shared those comments and prayers with Cherise who was uplifted by the show of support. She shared the first post she had already written and gave me permission to run it here on the site. Currently Darius is in critical condition undergoing multiple surgeries in San Antonio, TX. After reading please continue to pray for Darius and Cherise. Leave a few words of support and encouragement in the comment section to let her know that your thoughts are with her. Finally if you have anything available please consider making a contribution to the Cherise Adkins/Darius Johnson Fundraiser to ease the financial burden while she’s away from work in Texas with Darius. Any amount will help!
-Lamar (CoFounder BlackandMarriedWithKids.com)
by Cherise Adkins
My journey to bridal bliss began in February 2011 when my boyfriend of 18 months proposed to me.
It was a cold, crisp Friday morning in Maryland. I woke up and cracked open my laptop to check my email. I remember sitting on the edge of my bed, blurry-eyed and still wearing a head scarf and glasses. My web surfing was interrupted by a shout from the living room. It was Darius telling me that he had to run an errand and that he would be back soon. I was too drowsy to bother asking where he was going. Moments later, the front door shut behind him.
Forty-five minutes passed. I was still in my bedroom and hunched over my computer when I heard the front door open again. Seconds later, Darius came into my bedroom and kneeled down in front of the bed. He was holding a ring. It wasn’t just any ring – it was my dream ring. The one I had spotted inside a glass case at a jewelry counter weeks earlier. “Will you marry me?” Darius asked, staring upward with both knees planted firmly on the carpet next to my bed. “Yes!” I answering, instantly bursting into tears and thrusting my arms around him.
But soon my happy tears evolved into tears of sadness and worry. Five days after the proposal, Darius was sent to Alaska with the U.S. Army. In April, he was deployed to Afghanistan. We knew about his scheduled deployment. But nothing prepared us for the emotional challenges that come along with being separated and at war.
BMWK family let’s show her that we are here and that she has our full support. Don’t forget to leave a comment and then please consider making a contribution to the Cherise Adkins/Darius Johnson Fundraiser.
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