Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Laura and Brayden Faganello were happily married for just nine months when, in April of 2017, Laura was helping set up an event and a pole fell, hitting her on the head. Over the next few weeks, Laura’s memories became mixed and fuzzy until all of a sudden this 23-year-old awakened to feel she was 17 again and had no clue who this man was beside her in bed. “Nearly every morning, I woke up gasping in fear. Sometimes I screamed, sometimes I cried, and sometimes I was lucky enough to remember I wasn’t in danger.” Over the next two years, Laura had to relearn how to read, write, and speak coherently again. She had to learn to live with the short and long term memory loss, cope with constant pain and come to terms with the fact she was married to someone she truly didn’t know.

Brayden says that it seemed like Laura was afraid of him and he did things like leaving her little notes each day to support her and bring her back to him. “I was committed to her, I loved her and that hadn’t changed,” he said. Awe!!! Laura decided the best thing for her at that moment was to take off her wedding ring and start dating Brayden again, so they did.

They started with a round of mini-golf and going out on dinner dates. They binge watched The Office and Parks and Rec together. Laura began realizing she missed him every moment they weren’t together. On July 15th, 2020, Laura and Brayden were remarried on their 4th anniversary. (Info from the New Zealand Herald, Sept. 4th, 2019…helped by a google search of the second wedding date).

Or, how about Lisa Marshall of Andover, Connecticut, who remarried her husband after Alzheimers took his memory. There are numerous stories that flow from the 2004 movie: “50 First Dates”. Stories of memory loss for whatever reason and rekindling and rebuilding those loving feelings. It’s so freaking sweet! Woo!

Now…what will it take for you to rekindle the romance that may be struggling? Maybe no one has been hit hard on the head (although you may have wanted to be the one to do the hitting). Maybe Alzheimers or dementia are not a factor.

Maybe it’s simply love slipping away from your grips for reasons too numerous to count. Before you give up and walk away…consider being Lisa Marshall or Brayden Faganello and start dating again. Go back to the starting point and fan that flame that’s almost burnt out. Don’t “fall in love” because you don’t fall on purpose. Remarry the love and feelings that once drove you wild. Love again. (1 Corinthians 7 & 13)

Rev. J. Cameron Bailey is pastor of Kenbridge Christian Church. He can be reached at jamescameronbailey@gmail.com.