What could have been a lonely time in Lieutenant Colonel Rosemary's life turned into the beginning of a beautiful romance. During her deployment in Afghanistan with the U.S. Army in 2019, Rosemary began talking to Luis. Their conversations made Rosemary's deployment more tolerable, and she ended up falling in love with Luis despite never having been in the same room.
"Is he for real?"
Sporadically, over four years, Rosemary, a resident of Texas, was a CatholicMatch member. She met Luis from Spain after she set her perimeters to "go anywhere." He sent her a message, and when she first looked at his profile, she wondered, "Is this guy legit?"
"At first, I could not believe his photo!" she recalls.
A picture of Luis indicated that he was a Spanish Knight in the Order of Carlos V, which is an honorary heraldic order for those in the Hispano-America community. They contribute to the culture and public service to Spain and Latin America. Rosemary doubted if this piece of information was authentic.
"Turns out it was not only true, but in the public record," she says.
Luis found Rosemary equally admirable. He felt impressed by her military service, especially in the humanitarian assistance in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.
The reason they clicked...
"What attracted me to Luis was his passion for intelligent conversation and a variety of mutual interests. Also, I liked his relentless effort to keep in contact with me despite the separation caused by my deployment to Afghanistan," Rosemary explains.
She also appreciated that Luis accepted her profession as a career military officer, which Rosemary says is not easy. On top of it all, Luis had a beautiful smile and an expressive manner.
"I am bi-lingual, and I will say that it was a breath of fresh air to converse with a man as intelligent and expressive over video chat as he," she recalls
They had virtual dinners.
In the spring of 2019, the couple got to know one another by having virtual dinners together. While Rosemary was in Afghanistan, she and Luis "shared" nightly dinners together and discussed their days and their hopes and dreams.
"It felt very much like a real date, only we tried to communicate much more clearly and creatively," say the forty-somethings.
By October of that year, Rosemary felt certain that Luis was the one.
A note from a diplomat was what it took!
Despite the miles between them, Rosemary and Luis's relationship flourished. Luis proposed, and then the couple made plans for their wedding. However, there was not only the obstacle of Rosemary's deployment but also COVID travel restrictions. In addition to Army paperwork, it took a Spanish diplomatic note for Rosemary to enter Spain for their wedding.
"It was the permission by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs that allowed me to enter Spain in December 2020. At the time, foreigners outside of the European Union were prohibited under Covid-19 restrictions," she explains. "The diplomatic note allowed me to enter Spain under Humanitarian grounds. Reuniting with my fiancé for the purpose of marriage was considered a Humanitarian reason for me to enter Spain.
She adds, "Even just to have the wedding required permission from the city."
There was no kissing the bride at the altar!
On December 18th, 2020, Rosemary and Luis made their vows at Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church in Granada, Spain. Rosemary's fondest memory of the wedding included holding her husband's hand at the altar and when they walked together as man and wife.
She also recalls that the cold weather and the numerous COVID restrictions. Rosemary and Luis had to wear their masks for the entire ceremony. Only during Holy Communion could they lift their masks. Luis had to wait until they were in the car to kiss his bride.
Now, practical married life.
Rosemary and Luis had to learn to meld their schedules and adapt to living in different cities and time zones. There have been many humorous moments of acclimating themselves to new spaces and habits. They recall trying to figure out each other's kitchens, especially the difference with ovens in Celsius versus Fahrenheit, as well as trying to settle when they should have mealtime.
"We compromise, either way; when in Spain, we are Spaniards, and while in the U.S., we adapt to my crazy military schedule, she says.
The couple currently resides in Naples, Italy, where Rosemary will be stationed for three years.
Continue Reading
