A Fairytale

Once upon a time, in the Land of Love there lived a girl who dreamed of her knight in shining armor. He would be strong and brave. She dreamed that he would be a big guy, taller than she, and he would have dark locks. Her prince would be kind and intelligent and true.

She needed someone who would love her for who she was. Someone who would love her unconditionally without questions.

In her Junior year of high school she went to her gym class and across the room she spied a boy who was head and shoulders above their classmates. She got closer and he was wearing his football jersey and black shorts. He turned around and she realized he had a super cute bum. This was really important because she immensely appreciated athletic men in their tight football pants.

Her heart started hammering and she wondered if he might be the one.

In her quest to be near him, she and a girlfriend signed up for flag football, the only two girls to do so. After flag football was done, she decided she would take a weigh lifting class because he would be there also.

Her prince was a bit timid and so she used her network of friends to tell his friends that she liked him. She waited and waited for the day he would ask her out on a date. Homecoming came and went with no invitation.

The sad lass was taken to dinner at the country club by her father. He knew that she was heartbroken and waiting for the day that the prince would ask her to be his.

While she waited, she looked for ways to be near him. She sat on the bleachers during football practice and watched him, she left notes on his car and she drove by his house as many times as possible.

I know, the term "stalker" comes to mind but nobody even knew what that meant back then and it wasn't that way, anyhow.

Halloween was nearing and while the girl pined away for her beloved he decided that he would ask her on a date. He asked her in weigh lifting class and she responded with a hearty, "Yes!".

Their first date was a double date to a haunted house and to A&W for vittles afterward. They made the unfortunate decision to take home the A&W mugs without paying for them and had to return them that same night so they wouldn't be placed in handcuffs. Aww, young love and the brainless things done when passion rules the heart.

On with the story. He was to pick her up at a certain time and was 1 1/2 hours late because his friend was notoriously tardy. No one had cell phones back then.

She thought he had forgotten her and that she would never see him again. He showed up and she went with him because she was pretty sure that she already loved him.

She never dated another. Neither did he. In a few months, they were talking about getting married and they did a few years later on June 17, 1989.

This prince and his bride have been married 23 years today. They have had their share of struggles. Tough jobs, unemployment, triplet pregnancy and the four lives that hung in the balance for awhile, moves to far away lands, the loss of their house and financial struggles, and breast cancer.

Their love has never wavered through it all. Each year it grows stronger and they pray that God gives them another 50 years to spend loving each other.

The End.

I have found the one my heart loves. Song of Solomon 3:4