Jennifer Wilbanks' Ex-fiance Married

On March 15, 2008, John Mason married Shelly Martin in a ceremony in his parents' home in Duluth, Georgia. This seems a normal day for all married couples. The twist is that on April 25, 2005, his ex-fiancé Jennifer Wilbanks ran away from their home in Duluth, Georgia to Albuquerque, New Mexico.

She told no one, which prompted a nationwide man hunt and national news coverage. She was gone for three days before she called her ex-fiancé and told him she had been abducted by a Hispanic male and a Caucasian woman. These allegations turned out to be false and resulted in her doing 2 years of probation, 120 hours of community service and a fine for the waste of man power for her search. This is a happy ending for him this year.

I've been in a similar situation but mine is less dramatic.

I had been dating my fiancé for two years. I knew that I wanted to marry this girl. She was intelligent, smart, and beautiful. From the moment I saw her, I knew I wanted to be with her. I met her at my job and with in maybe four weeks we were dating. It was great at first because we had the same friends and we had parties. Our apartment was the hang out spot. With us both making money, we didn't have restraint. Around that time, I learned that her mother was dying from cancer. It was a real hard time. I was working to try to feed both of us and be a great boyfriend. Her mother ended up dying.

We then moved into another apartment after an attempted break in. We were there and the questions about marriage came up. She wanted to know when but I felt she was still reeling from the death of her mother. I was waiting for the scars to heal so that we could truly focus on us and our future. She was going to school at the time and working which proved to be too much for her.

She started to question if I was ever going to marry her because she felt I was just rolling with the times. She made so much of an effort that I was actually considering moving back home and ending the relationship. Every time we go to the mall, she would point at rings and I would cringe. One day I sat down with myself and said that I love this girl and I can't duck that anymore. So after ducking for 3 months, I bought her the ring she wanted and proposed. Since then, I don't ever regret waiting. I think it was a necessary part of being comfortable. Later this year we will have our first baby. Now I have no doubt that I picked the right woman.

In closing, if you don't feel like your ready for marriage, then you don't have to do it. Tell your partner what you are feeling. Consult with a bishop or pastor of a church. Talk to your parents or close friends. Marriage is a sacred institution. It's still is till death do you part.