Donnie and I first met in 6th grade when the Simmons family moved to Bogata, Texas where 3 generations of Donnie’s family lived. Being the new girl in this small town, I caught a lot of eyes being a new face, but Donnie was the one who caught my eye. Our relationship took on many forms from 6th grade through our senior year of high school. That consisted of being close friends, having crushes on each other, not being so close, etc. Then, at the beginning of our senior year we both experienced an incredibly difficult heartache: we both lost a parent. However, even though that type of separation and broken heartedness is not a part of God's plan, He used those things to beautifully orchestrate changes in our relationship. Also both of being on the tennis team together our senior year only gave us more time to relearn each other. As our last year of high school progressed, our friendship evolved into a different kind of bond. Originally, Donnie planned on going to the junior college down the road, but I convinced him to go to Howard Payne with me. I thought having someone I knew in a new town, with new people, and a new level of education over 300 miles away from this tiny town I called home would make the transition easier. I had no idea of the spiritual transformation that would take place in both of our hearts. Donnie likes to tell people that I threw him into the deep end of the socializing pool when we arrived at Howard Payne. The people we connected with during our first semester still love to tell me (him/us) they knew we would end up together. I didn't believe it when we first arrived, being fresh out of another relationship, and Donnie ONLY being my friend. I still truly believe when Donnie and I came to Howard Payne there was no love interest on either side. We genuinely were just best friends. But the Lord works in miraculous ways, and through our shared heartache and genuine friendship, a beautiful love blossomed.