Dear Readers, It’s imperative that you understand that I was not looking for love, but the series of events that followed led me to find it and so much more. Was it a Tuesday or Sunday afternoon, I don’t remember? My father had reached out to me to invite me to dinner because it had been some time since we’d seen each other last. Working through Covid was rough and going through constant scares and changes in policies and bubble size decreases and increases, I wanted nothing more than to have a nice dinner with my father. It was a day later when he reached out to me and asked me “would be OK if somebody join us?” being exhausted and just wanting to see my family I said “sure sounds good.” I show up for dinner that Saturday evening, myself and my family, we all start playing games and then she walked in the door. “Oh, what is that?” “It’s a boardgame!” “I love boardgames! “ (baddump thump thump thunp) Later on in the evening around the dinner table, we get to talking. I realize she’s dipping her toes into the food industry. “Oh well, Ryan knows a lot about that. He runs a restaurant” someone says. We continue to exchange little things back-and-forth and eventually the conversation moves to “Well I’m looking for some kind of kitchen manager?” And here I was looking to leave my job because it’s not been a great spell. (Flutter boom boom boom) After dinner things start to wind down and we’re sitting around talking. (Is she looking at me? I’m looking at her.) We’ve met before but never really spent close time in each other’s company. Towards the end of the evening I need to skedaddle for I have work in the morning. Before we leave Elizabeth (my sister) pipes up and says, “why don’t you give her your number.” Fumbling around I don’t pull out my phone, but a pen, and I write my number on a napkin and hand it to her and scoot out the door. (Flutter flutter flutter) And that my readers is the story of how I met my bride to be. Dictated but not read by Ryan Palmer

A few weeks after we met at David and Cara Lee's, I was away at Camp Pecometh for a clergy training event. Ryan and I had not reconnected in person but had been going back and forth via text for quite some time. Cell reception at Pecometh isn't great in the dorms, so I warned Ryan that if we wanted to stay in touch it would need to switch to Facebook messenger (to which he did immediately). One night late we were checking in about how the day had gone, when a thunderstorm began. We both named how much we loved storms and how special they were to us for a variety of reasons. An hour or so later we are still messaging but now it is about a Zombie Apocalypse and what we would need and look for if the world was coming to an end. This silly conversation took a turn and all of a sudden became us sharing this depth that I had not experienced in a long time. That conversation made me start to wonder about this boy, maybe I wouldn't hire him to be our kitchen manager, maybe, just maybe this could turn into something else.

A few weeks after the Zombie Apocalypse conversation our schedules line up and we decide to meet up in person. It was one of the hottest days of the summer, but we decide to go on a walk at Mt. Cuba. (Side note, I worried a lot about what I wore that day, was this a date? was this a mini job interview?) As you might imagine, things were super awkward at first, but somewhere along that walk we settled in. I mostly remember how much I laughed along that first walk. An hour or so in we found a bench that overlooked the meadow and it was here that we clarified we both wanted it to be a date, it was here that we had our first kiss, and it was here that we've returned to remember "where it all began." (Side note #2, I gave Ryan a hand drawn print of the bench for Christmas this past year- who knew we were both going to celebrate our love in big ways this year). Because it was officially a date and things were going so well, we decided to extend the day and went to see a movie. We settled in and watched In the Heights. If you've seen the movie you know it is full of some beautiful and some heartbreaking moments. Partway through I started to cry, and found myself trying to hide these tears, I mean who cries on a first date. Lucky for me I looked over to Ryan and he too was crying. It was the first time, of many, that I felt so very lucky to be on a date with this guy.

Dear readers welcome back it’s nice you know they’re hanging in for the long-haul. I lie here in thinking about her, the future we have together, and what we’re currently building. I am reminded of that all important moment… Twas the night before, the night before Christmas and all through the house. Not a creature was stirring, not even a Chelsea mouse When what to my fretful mind didn’t appear the ring. I had ordered sometime last half a year. All night that I did spend hoping and praying that I could figure out a way to save this day without saying, will you marry me I don’t have a ring for you yet but surprise it’s coming in the mail. So I woke really early the next morning under pretense of breakfast in bed for my love. Would I find the post office open? Letter in hand I arrived, hopeful that everything would go. according to plan (number four) when what to my much disappointed eyes did I see “not enough staff come back after three” (10 but hey it rhymes don’t give me that look) returning home was a pit in my gut. I settle in for breakfast trying not to appear in a rut. Another plan I would need play number five would work, surely indeed, sometime after cuddles and gifts I left again to find one last present for my soon to be Wif(e). Off to the post office I rushed posthaste, and there I found an employee, a line, and no moment a waste. My turn was drawing to a near I stepped up to the counter. I said I have a package that says it’s here! The postmaster looked at my note and said oh yeah, one moment please what’s your address again on your name? OK sign here, Oh, thank gosh the time was coming near! Finally, at last the ring I had ordered that I would give to my love without border. I rushed home ring in hand, plan number five! Into the tree I retrieved the bundle of roses and I headed upstairs to my love still in bed so I could proposes I knelt down beside her napping, gently woke her up with a smile and a kiss and said: Hey there, my love, I’ve been thinking, the time has come for me to say: I love you forever, every last single day, will you join me our hands together to become one and a ceremony of marriage what joy what fun! She looked at me and she said “yes of course of course” She cried with a smile and that is the story. I’ll tell for a little while. Dictated, not read by Ryan Palmer