15 Years Ago Today....

I met my dh (and I quit smoking cold turkey)!  I need to think happy thoughts today since lately I've been feeling pretty "blah"...not sick or anything but just "blah".  For those of you that have not been following my blog posts for all that long I thought I would recap the day we met.  I pretty much remember it like it happened yesterday.

I met my dh at a young adult retreat for Catholics.  I had sworn off men...last boyfriend broke my heart.  I went on the retreat for my job was super stressful and I just needed to reconnect with God and my faith.  The retreat started on a Friday evening....and it started with prayer.  The retreat was held at a convent.  I remember the leader of the retreat talking about how we needed to feel God and how the sisters living at the convent were praying for us...they were praying for what was in our hearts.  I felt a warm fuzziness all over. I was letting God into my life.  It was an amazing feeling and one I hadn't felt before or in a long time.  This feeling made me cry.  I couldn't help it.    I remember thinking "I'm not praying to meet a man." Well...as we know now...it was in my heart to meet a good, decent, Catholic man. I wanted a man with no "baggage".  So, Friday I prayed...I connected...I met some other very nice ladies to socialize with.

I don't remember much about Saturday morning but I remember lunch.  I was sitting in the cafeteria eating with some new "friends" that I had connected with when I saw him.  Yep, My dh.  I'm guessing I was starring at him for he looked over at me and I looked away.  There were not a lot of guys on this retreat but he caught my eye.  My dh does not remember looking at me.  It was casual and quick.  Well, After lunch he happened to know one of the ladies I was hanging with and that was when we were introduced.  We all went to another talk and my dh and I sat next to each other.  There was a break during the talk and he asked me if I wanted anything...I answered "yes" and he got me a cookie...that is when he took notice of me.  I kid you not!  He got me a cookie!  So, after the talk I told him that I was going to go for a walk and he said he was going to stay there or go to his room...so I walked away and since it was nice out...beautiful fall day..the grounds of the convent were stunning...so  I left.  I got out of the building and was near the creek when I turned around and there he was.  He asked if he could join me on my walk. He told me later that he had this feeling that he had to follow me.  He had to go on this walk with me.  I said "yes" and that is how it really began.  We walked, we talked and we just had a beautiful afternoon together.   We even sat in the adoration chapel together.  Our relationship began with prayer!    I do remember thinking "What is going on God!  I didn't come here for a man!".  God knew...those sisters knew.  Some of the women I connected with there even knew.  They said "You met the man you are going to marry." and I was like "How do you know?"  and they just said there was something about him and I together.  I kid you not.

That evening...there was a little social and we hung out again and even went outside for a moonlight stroll.  We sat on a bench outside and he took my hand.  That was it.  It was special.  On Sunday we ate breakfast together and we went to mass.  After mass there was a little good-bye social and he walked me to my car, we exchanged phone numbers and we hugged good-bye.  I had an amazing weekend...on my way home...I lit my last cigarette ever....I had been trying so hard to quit but after a weekend of not having one cigarette...(I was going to have one on that walk but since my dh joined me...I didn't.).  I took one puff, threw the cigarette out of the window ( I know bad littering and all)...and I never had another cigarette again.  It's been 15 years since I quit smoking! 

I remember going to work the next day and my friend co-worker asked about the retreat and I told her about the man I met.  She said "Oh my God, you are going to marry this guy."  Once again I was like "How do you know?"  Needlesstosay...lots of friends told me that he was special and we were going to get married.  Dh called me two weeks later and we planned our first date...we saw his dad in a play in the city after a very nice romantic dinner.  We shared our first kiss as well.  Can't forget that first kiss, right?   Our second date was a Halloween party...I was part of a young adult Catholic singles group and some of the ladies there commented that they needed to go on a retreat...they all adored my dh.  Everyone brought a dish to share...it was a potluck party...someone brought one bunch of bananas..no joke.  My dh and I shared our first laugh that night...we found that to be too funny.  We still laugh about that.

We were not dating long before he asked me to be his girl..awe..so sweet.  Of course I said yes...and over a year later on Christmas Even, he asked me to be his wife.  Of course I said "Yes". 

Reflecting on the day we met and how special that weekend was...God was there, the sisters were there...I felt God's presence in my life at that time.  I felt warm...It made me cry.  Thinking about that weekend brought tears to my eyes as I typed this post!  My dh is very special to me.  God couldn't have brought a more perfect man into my life...he is my other half.  God had special plans then and continues to have special plans for us.  Through all of the trials we have been through and life not going as planned our relationship has remained strong. IF made us stronger.  IF made us better Catholics and faithful servants of God.

My journey of life is better because I'm walking through it with my dh by my side. Thank you God for bringing this wonderful man into my life.