This blog spot would not be complete if I didn't talk about my husband and 'how we met'. He started out as my friend, then my best friend, and then something happened. One day, I woke up and I knew I didn't want to be just his friend anymore. How does that happen, anyway? How do you fall for someone without knowing it? It's really funny though, since my aunt knew all along that there was more to our relationship than just friendship.
When my parents decided to move me to a public high school instead of a private catholic school, I though my life would be over. I had grown up with these people and been friends with them for my entire school experience. Now, I had to start over???!!! I am naturally a shy and reserved person, so making friends was sometimes hard for me. I was just happy that some of my closest friends were moving to the new school too.
One of my first days at my new high school, I saw Jason in the library and thought, "wow, he's kind of cute." I had seen him around town before, but not up close. I figured that would be the end of it and I wouldn't really see him again. We ended up having classes together and then he started hanging out with my inner circle. Later, I was told it was because of me, but I am not sure I believe that ;-)
Eventually, we started spending more time together and talked on the telephone more and more. I invited him to my Sweet Sixteen birthday party, but he sent a big apology and a sweet card because he was acting in a play. It warmed my heart and broke it all at the same time. I still could not figure out why. He was my 'shugie bear' not my boyfriend...
After many bumps in the road and not speaking for a few months, I eventually started an intervention on my own behalf and forced Jason to talk to me again. He spent New Years' Eve 1999 at my house, watching television, which NO ONE had EVER done. For some reason, my parents felt comfortable with the situation and we held hands and channel-surfed. We could not find Dick Clark on any channel (weird, I know), so we just ended up watching movies and then Jason left a little after midnight. On New Years' Day 1999, we became a couple when Jason asked me if I wanted to be his girlfriend. Since then, the numbers 1 and 9 have always had a special meaning for us.
For some, it may seem pretty silly, but the innocence of our love makes me believe in good times and in destiny. All of the stars aligned just right for us to get to know one another, become a couple, marry and now have a family at what I believe are the right times for us. Our story is complex, and beautiful, and just for us. But, I wanted to share a little bit of where we come from. That way, people could understand that even though we married at what seems like an early age, there is so much more to the story than meeting in a club one night and making lifelong commitments. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but that is just not what happened with us... It took much longer than that.
Jason rescued me.... from myself, from bad choices and bad influences. He showed me that it was okay to stand for something and not be moved. His love for God made me want to renew my faith too. I showed him that it was okay to be loved and to trust someone with all of your heart.
Love is so much more than a fairytale or bedtime story. It is trust and compassion and a desire to care for someone more than you care for yourself. To do everything in your power to show that person that they are wanted, needed, and respected. As we grow old, I will look back on our 'love story' with awe and never wonder what life would have been like without Jason, because I already know the answer....
