How We Met

I met Shawn 15 years ago today! It was fun telling Cody and Anna today about how we met on that day, February 21, 1997. Cody had a pleased smile on his face and kept interrupting, “So THEN did you marry him?!” In Cody’s journal entry today he wrote that today was special because it was the anniversary of when his dad and mom met, and if we hadn’t met, he would never have been born! Sooo in case they grow up and don’t remember how their parents got together, and in case they ever wonder, here goes…I was working coat check at my high school basketball game to raise money for our Senior trip the next year. My friends and sister were sitting at a table down the hall selling baked goods for our church’s puppet ministry. When I got a break I walked over to their table and asked how their sales were going. They said “not good.” I told them, “I bet the next person that walks around the corner, I will sell something to.” Ha, did I ever! Just then Shawn came around the corner in search of the men’s restrooms. I approached him. He didn’t take any cookies but he gave money to the ministry. He laughed as I managed to sell a cake to a diabetic man, and we talked a bit, laughed some more, an obvious connection. When he left, my mom and best friend came up and asked who he was. I didn’t know, but I told them (or at least thought it) that if I did know him we would be dating/a couple. Now I have NEVER thought something like that before…NEVER had a connection like that before. I just felt like he was somehow a part of me. But how could he be??? I dismissed it because I was obviously crazy. I mean I would never see him again. Besides, my New Year’s Resolution that year was not to date anybody…I would find my guy in college. The next week, my sister threw a college class party for her Sunday school class at church. Guess who happened to show up with mutual friends??? But I was unaware it was him (He wore a hat to the game and looked different to me without it). I surveyed the situation, debating whether or not I wanted to stay for the party. I was friends with quite a few of the people, but, technically, it wasn’t my party. I was not in college yet. I decided to go upstairs to work on a paper for school. Shawn sat in a chair by the stairs ( I was still unable to recognize him). I stopped at the stairs a second. He turned to me and said, “How did your bake sale go?” I just looked at him with a quizzical expression. How did this new guy know about our bake sale??? He pressed, “You don’t remember me, do you?” And then he smiled…that contagious, friendly smile where his eyes begin to almost squint. And I knew at that moment who he was, and I also knew in that moment I was not going up to my room to write a paper! (Smile) We played games that night, cards, ping-pong, and the lifesaver game that my friend Bill brought as an icebreaker and a guaranteed solution to create laughs. I got in line, and Shawn later got in line and happened to end up right next to me. We all laughed as we had to hold a toothpick in our mouths and transfer the lifesaver down the line to the last person. The team who does it the fastest wins…a little unnerving when you are paired next to the new guy who makes your heart all aflutter! We stayed friends for a little while before he asked me out to dinner and a movie. We have been best friends ever since, and I still love talking to him. And sometimes after the kids are in bed we just sit and laugh until it hurts! I wrote a list when I was in high school of the things I wanted in the man God wanted me to marry. I honestly think that God was just pointing me toward Shawn because some of the things on my list don’t matter to me. I honestly don’t care about whether he is from the South??? I seriously don’t think that is a prerequisite to marry. Has horses??? They are fun to ride, but I don’t want to actually own any. (Shawn’s parents had them at the time.) Plays an instrument and loves children…now those do matter to me and have been important in our ministry together at church. I began praying for my husband during my teenage years. I prayed for him to have a good day. I prayed for Shawn (before I knew him)not to give into temptation to sin. I just prayed, and God answered my prayers. Today I am so thankful for my best friend! I can’t imagine what my life would be like if we hadn’t met. I have four little children that I love soooo very much as a result. I am glad that was one New Year’s Resolution I decided to break!