Love
What brings two people together and what keeps them together? Is it a warm feeling when he smiles at you? Or knowing she will laugh at your jokes? Just ask Eddie and Jennifer Cawlfield. No strangers to love and marriage, the Cawlfields are both native Texans and met while working together at a physician-recruiting firm in the early 2000's. Work travel and social happy hours and eventually a newly-established recruiting firm drew Jennifer and Eddie together as friends. Jennifer found that Eddie made her laugh and Eddie discovered Jennifer to be sharp, driven, and her own brand of funny.
For Eddie, marriage wasn't a priority until he met Jennifer. He says he would've been a terrible spouse before meeting her. He came to realize he would be "lucky to get to be married to her because she's just good stuff". Married in 2008, they realized it was the perfect time for Eddie to pursue his dream of attending law school. He enrolled in 2011 and they began the journey of studying, working, parenting, and all the things people juggle along the way.
Family
Eddie and Jennifer have three children. Charlotte, 13, is outgoing, kind, helpful, and motivated. CJ, 11, is logical, smart, has a funny, dry wit, and loves all things computers. Jennifer says he is the "best part of the Oreo". Eight-year-old Chloe is driven and competitive, is attracted to those who need a champion and, as Eddie says, "is truly, a funny human and she lives for an audience".
Jennifer acknowledges she was a better parent before actually having children. According to her, Eddie is the fun parent and she is the disciplinarian. A funny example: Eddie doesn't force food choices but Jennifer once chased CJ around the house with corn on a fork to get him to try something new. Determination runs strong in this family. The Cawlfields work hard to provide opportunities for the kids to problem-solve. Eddie's stance is that it's not necessarily the problems that are at issue but how you solve them. Creating memories and traditions is important, too. Sunday dinners at the table with just the Cawlfield Five and an annual ski trip to Bend, Oregon, where Jennifer skied with her family as a child, are events Eddie and Jennifer build into their calendars.
They enjoy traveling as a family and hope to make a few trips with just the two of them. Regular date nights are on the goal list, too. Conscious decisions to stay connected are important.
Service
Jennifer co-founded Helping Hands of Celina (HHoC) to help CISD students with clothing, shoes, and hygiene needs. Jennifer saw the importance of volunteering through her own mom's service and now Jennifer tries to be present in her children's school. She claims to be "The World's Okay-est Room Mom" but anyone that knows Jennifer can refute that. Her desire to support Celina ISD educators is evident in "The Teacher Fashion Show" hosted by HHoC on April 16 this year. Teachers strut the catwalk in clothing and accessories from Annie Jack, Willow House, The Twisted Trail and Honeysuckle Rose Boutique. The $20 event ticket helps support the $13,000 in Amazon gift cards given to full-time teachers in the district. For more info, see HelpingHandsOfCelina.com.
Eddie and Jennifer live by and understand that some people need help. Jennifer says, "There are people in need, and we are on this earth to help them." Whether it's through providing donations and sponsorships through the Cawlfield Law Firm, volunteering at church, or Jennifer and the kids sorting items for the clothes closets, they work together for the well-being of the community.
Advice
Eddie has wise words to share: "Whatever you think life is going to look like, it's probably not. It's not like the movies. Life is going to take you down some different paths; slow down and do your best while life is happening. I love this life. I would love a magic wand to cure Jennifer's cancer but it has become a part of the scenery of our lives." Jennifer adds, "If you can, marry your best friend, the person who makes you laugh. Marry the person you want your future kids to grow up to be. My mom said 'go for the nerds' and Eddie fit the bill."
Marriage is a relationship in which two people love deeper the more they get to know each other. The mountains and valleys of life show us some days aren’t as exciting as the honeymoon phase. But because marriage is a lifelong relationship, we can make the daily commitment to love our spouses—strengths, struggles, and all. These commitments spill over into family and serving the community and these are the things, the love, the Cawlfields live out loud.
