Till Debt Do Us Part

And then it happened. The much needed dose of reality hit me up side my head. No, my dad didn’t kick me out of the house or stop payment on my tuition bill. I found the woman I was going to marry. Enter my day of reckoning.

She had no clue of my financial mess, and I didn’t plan on telling her of my past blunders. After all, how do you tell someone you love and want to start a future with that you’re on the hook for $27,393 in credit card debt? The last time I checked, Hallmark doesn’t address this delicate issue. Plus, the thought that she wasn’t going to understand my out of control spending past crossed my mind often. And who would blame her for not wanting a future with such a skuzzball.

But how can we start our lives together on a foundation of lies. After seeking the counsel of my parents, I was convinced that I needed to tell her now or forget about a future with her. My stomach was in knots leading up to that fateful night at Barnes & Noble.

I remember telling her that there was something important that I needed to discuss with her. I’m sure that’s not what she wanted to hear. In fact, I scared her because my tone was somber. The embarrassment and guilt flooded over me like never before in my life.

Not knowing how to start the conversation, I picked a book off the personal finance shelf by Larry Burkett, World’s Easiest Guide to Finances. With a title like that shouldn’t he know how I can explain my way out of this?

I turned to the chapter titled, “For Richer or Poorer,” and began to layout my financial situation. I didn’t hide any of my debt obligations. I wanted her to understand the bleakness of the situation. If she was going to stand with me as my spouse, then she needed to know. To my excited surprise, she lovingly accepted me despite my glaring character flaw and lack of self-discipline.

That night brought us closer together as we set out on our journey to living a debt free life together.