Our love story (part 1): Love at first sight

Valentine's Day is approaching.  We just booked our 10 day getaway for our 10 year wedding anniversary.  So, it seems like a good time to write down the details of how I met my husband and the love story that followed to preserve what I can still remember. 

One of my good friends in middle through high school, who I will refer to as Curly, was a very popular, charming, charismatic guy.  Girls in school would ask me about him often, and I tried to dutifully play matchmaker.  We always thought he would run for U.S. President some day because of his ability to motivate and inspire people to follow him.  Even though I had no romantic interest in him, he still had a charming way of getting me to go to great lengths to help him with school campaigns, church projects, and school assignments.  Had I known back then what gift God had in store for me through this acquaintance, I would have given Curly the moon were it in my power.

Curly enrolled at the US Naval Academy after high school graduation.  Born for the stage, he immediately joined the US Naval Academy Glee Club. This singing group traveled through several continents during his four years at the Naval Academy.  They sang at Clinton's inaugural festivities, St. Paul's Cathedral, Christmas in Washington, and other dignified events.

Curly with the USNA Glee Club on tour at a state capitol building

Were it not for Curly, I seriously doubt the USNA Glee Club would have stopped at my hometown to give concerts during their spring tour.  Even if they had stopped there, without Curly, the members of his and my home church probably would not have had the opportunity to host those midshipmen for the weekend.

Plebe Summer 1991

While Curly was pushing himself through a year of nonstop hazing as a plebe at the Naval Academy, I was rocking my way through the weed out engineering courses at my university and having the time of my life.  Even though my university was not far from home, I had only returned home once thus far when the dorms closed for Christmas break.

During the early part of my second semester, Mom called to tell me that she and Dad would be hosting two midshipmen for the weekend during the USNA Glee Club's spring break tour stop in our hometown.  She asked if I would like to come home and help host these young bachelors.  She is one of the most hospitable women I know, and that carrot certainly convinced me to travel home for the weekend.

John Stamos circa 1982

I drove in on Friday just in time to see the midshipmen lined up in the church parking lot.  I scanned the line and one black haired guy in glasses stood out to me.  He reminded me of my favorite actor during my preteen years, John Stamos, except that he was much more innocent looking with cute dimples.

As God had wonderfully ordained, that young man had already been assigned by the event coordinators to my parents' home along with an upperclassman.  I seem to remember playing the piano while those two midshipmen sang one of their performance songs that weekend.  While I played, I daydreamed that I was sitting at the piano as that dimpled midshipman's wife with little songbird children gathered around the piano singing with him.  That daydream is my reality today.

The concerts were fabulous, and I had a great time showing the guys around my hometown.  Mom took a picture of us before church on Sunday, but my favorite midshipman closed his eyes.  Why couldn't we have had digital cameras back then so we would have known to make more attempts at a decent picture? This picture is the only one I have from that special weekend.

The two midshipmen my parents hosted and me (still sporting an 80s hairdo)

On the way to church that Sunday, the midshipmen I liked so much sat to my left in the back seat and grinned at me with a look in his eyes that I will never forget.  I have seen a hint of that "look" in our son's eyes, and it always takes me back to that moment.

Our son giving me that look (photo by BeasKnees)

The midshipmen sang at our church that morning and left that afternoon.  I returned to college, and that was it, I supposed.  The charming gentleman who had stayed at my parents' home was off singing in other cities, staying in other families' homes, perhaps with other gals my age.  He had over three years left at the Naval Academy followed by at least five to eight years of active duty in the navy ahead of him. Nevertheless, I felt compelled to at least write him a follow-up letter to thank him for the sacrifices he was making and would continue to make in service to our country. 

Much to my surprise, he wrote back, and we exchanged photos through a series of letters so as to remember one another.  He looked quite handsome in his senior photo. 

 

As for me, I just looked like a girl with big hair.

When Easter came a month later, he returned to my hometown to spend the Easter holiday with Curly's family since his family lived too far away to visit during such a short break from school.  Based on his correspondence through email and instant messenger (both had just entered the university system at that time), he apparently hoped to see me while in town.  I was thrilled to get to spend another weekend with him.

Easter Sunday 1992

While I do not believe that it is possible to fall in love at first sight, we both certainly experienced attraction at first sight.  A spark began between us that fated Friday 19 years ago, and the flame never stopped burning. So why did over nine years pass before we would pledge before God and 300+ witnesses to love each other faithfully and unconditionally until Christ takes us home?  Stay tuned....

Click here to continue to part 2.