A Love Story

This post is long overdue.

It was waiting for such a special occasion.
This is my love story.

I was a lonely little girl on the brink of becoming a woman. I went to high school in Marietta, GA, so by the time I moved back to Washington where I grew up I no longer had any friends in the area. I began attending the community college nearby and immediately fell in with the BSU (Baptist Student Union) group on campus. I really clicked and I was finally making friends again.
But things never seem to stay the same for long in my life. My parents decided to move to Eastern Washington. At 20 and finally getting into a groove, I really didn't want to go- besides the move was only going to be for a few years until my dad could start his own chiropractic practice- so I stayed. I am the youngest of six kids and I had plenty of other family in the area. I stayed with my oldest sister and her family since they were close to the college and my job. That is until her husband took a job in Oregon, at which point my aunt and I got a house together.
But as I said, I was lonely. I missed my mom terribly. Since I was the only kid at home when we lived in Georgia, she and I were REALLY close. I was paying rent and going to school 20 credit hours- which meant also working 35 hours a week. You know, basically learning how to be a grown up. And alone. Which, as I already mentioned in a previous post, I don't do very well.

I decided to have a BSU New Years Eve Party. It was pretty boring. You know how those good Christian kids are. At about 10:30 someone knocked on the door. Obviously someone I didn't know because I have ALWAYS been a "let yourself right in" person. When I answered the door there was this tall, skinny, Euro guy standing there with a girl I didn't know. He said in his strong European accent, "Uh, hey-lo, I am looook-ingk for Geeeeena. Leeeah eenvited meee." Well, Leah I did know. And I wasn't alone. So I let the strange Euro dude into my house. I didn't know it that night but I had also let him into my life. Forever.
My boring party? Instantly fun. Mr. Euro knew so many funny stories- most of them relating to his mangling of the American language or his tromping on American culture. He really knew how to laugh at himself. That was really appealing to me. And he knew a lot of fun group games. And he was with a girl. Dang.
Shortly after 1 am I said goodbye to my last guests and fell into bed and thought about the night. And the fact that he was with a girl. Dang. What was his name again, anyway?

About 2 weeks later I was going to work at my little chiropractic screening kiosk in the mall when who should walk by but Mr. Euro. He stopped and came to say hello and we both instantly realized that we had met at this very spot at Christmas time. The chiropractor had hired a couple of massage therapists to do seated massage out in the mall kiosk for the Christmas shopping crowd. One of his friends had stopped and gotten a massage and we chatted while she did.
The third time's the charm, right? This time he asked me if I wanted to walk down to the food court with him and get a pop or something. Did I? Since I was about 10 minutes early I said yes. As we were leaving my boss whispered in my ear that I didn't have to be in for another half hour. We had fun talking over Coke and when he dropped me back off at work, I blurted out, "Do you want to go to a Bible Study with me at the UW BSU?" I had NEVER asked a guy out before....

We went. We had a good time. We ended up at the waterfront afterward, talking until midnight. A few days later I was talking to my mom on the phone. In the bathroom. In my pajamas. Taking off my makeup. Who do you suppose called? Yep, Mr. Euro. He wanted to take me out to dinner. I think I actually hung up on my mom- or forgot she was on the other line. I let him take me out to dinner. And for a drive. Into the mountains. Late at night.
We were finally standing looking at one of the peaks, him standing behind me with his arms around my shoulders. All of a sudden he spun me around and I could tell that he was going to kiss me. He did. On my forehead. And he told me that I was such a blessing to him.
Whoa, hold the phone! This guy that I barely knew had me all alone in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night and he kisses my forehead?! And he calls me a blessing?! Be still, my heart. I knew in that moment that this was the man I was going to marry.

That totally freaks him out. It took him a lot longer to get to the same conclusion. After 11 years of marriage it still takes him a lot longer to reach my conclusions. That's actually pretty good for me, because it gives me time to think through my gut reactions and examine if they are really right. (They usually are- but usually is not always.)

I can hardly remember my life without Sebastian. And, God willing, I never have to think about a time when he won't be here. I am more in love with him today than I was 12 1/2 years ago if that is even possible.

I love the lyrics to the song "Longer" by Dan Folgelberg:

Through the years as the fire
starts to mellow
Burning lines in the book of our lives
Though the binding cracks and the
pages start to yellow
I'll be in love with you.