Love Is Patient

Those are the words that have remained on my fridge since the summer of 2020 when Nat & Haley were faced with the difficult decision to postpone their wedding. We’ve all heard “Love is patient” in the biblical sense many times over, but by seeing the words and reading them every day, I’ve been trying to dig deeper into what patience in love really means. 

Haley Sue had a way of impacting people's lives for the better, and sometimes almost instantaneously- we know that because we’ve heard the stories. But when Haley and I first met, we didn’t really become friends until much later. Our friendship was almost reluctant in the beginning (for the silliest of reasons - but a story for another time). Our boyfriends were very close - so by default we ended up spending a lot of time with each other, but for whatever reason we really took our time getting to know each other as friends. Over time, and over girls' trivia nights, we began to understand each other more and more and rely on each other for relationship advice. There was really never an “aha” moment, but we grew into this level of friendship that truly felt like there was no limit. She and Nat were family. There was nothing that I felt like I couldn’t talk to Haley about or turn to her for advice on. We shared so many late night heart to heart conversations that I will always cherish. God knew what he was doing by placing us in each other’s lives, but it was definitely a slow and patient move on His part. 

So what does it mean...“love is patient”? I think Haley had already figured out that its meaning is more elaborate than just three little words. It’s never giving up on the ones you love. It’s admitting when you have messed up. It’s letting go of things you can’t control and letting God work out the rest. It’s taking the time to learn how to best love someone and then taking the time to let them know that they are loved. It’s giving your all and expecting nothing in return. 

“Change The World” is Haley’s motto and has become a driving force in the creation of the Haley Sue Foundation - but I’d like to challenge y’all to also think of “love is patient” when thinking of Haley Sue. Think of how she would encourage you to be patient in your own life, and think back fondly on memories of how she (or other loved ones) have been patient with you. 

To Haley - thank you for being my friend and for continuing to be a bright light in our lives even still today. I’ll love you forever, and promise to love others patiently, as you have, and will patiently wait for the day where I can hug you again. 

All my love,

Megan