The Day that Will Live in Infamy

Today is the 13th anniversary of the day Steve and I vowed to stay together forever…so far so good. As I reflect back on that day and all the days since then, I can honestly say I love him more today than I did back then. He and I both are a lot different…been through some rough patches…and survived to tell about it! Most of you don’t know how we met, and it’s a sweet story.

We met at the church we used to go to…in the college department. He had just graduated from college, and I, well I was attending my 6th or 7th college and didn’t fit in anywhere else so that’s where I was too. He was a lot of fun…VERY funny…made me laugh, seemed pretty normal, responsible, etc. so we became friends. The kind of friend where we hang out and do life together…go to the movies (LOTS of movies), go out to eat with other friends, go play tennis, sit around my apartment and watch TV, go to college retreats, sneak out of college retreats…you know the usual. We were seriously just friends because I was (ahem) 9 years older than Steve…and that just wouldn’t work. The more time we spent together though, the more we really liked each other…as friends.

That all changed when he decided to start stalking me…yes I said stalking. Evidently, he was liking me a little more than I thought…because he would call my apartment and hang up without saying anything (he said he got nervous and didn’t know what to say…even though we talked to each other ALL the time)…and since this is pre-caller ID days, I had no idea who it was. Then one day I came home and found a bouquet of flowers on my door…with no card. Yes, I am definitely being stalked…but I liked it…the flowers were beautiful. Please stalk me anytime.

Anyway, long story short…Steve admitted to my sister, Tammy, his feelings, and asked her to kind of feel the situation out…no names, just hypotheticals. Seriously? He obviously didn’t know that as sisters…we’re tight, and there’s not much we don’t share with each other. At first, the age thing made me say no way. I mean when I was in college, he was in grade school. That totally makes me sound like a perve. But after a while, I realized I didn’t care about the age difference. I really liked this guy…and he made life fun.

And 13 years later, he’s still making life fun. “Thanks” seems so shallow…but thanks for loving me, putting up with me, protecting me, being on my side, giving me two scrumptious kids, and dreaming my dreams with me. How about we renegotiate our contract for another 13?