We're Renewing Our Vows!

I was introduced to Tom by a coworker, Ellen. I had wrapped up my master’s degree and started work as a social worker in an adult foster care program. Ellen and I became good friends, and she was quite the matchmaker (yes: Ellen was cupid in our story). She took it upon herself to show me the catchment area for our program, and that conveniently included stopping to visit CCBC in Taunton, where Tom worked. It was September 2001, a weekday. Tom was quiet when we met and seemed distant. He told me much later that Ellen called him the next day and said “what do you think”. Tom said he wasn’t interested, and I’ve always respected that, because it became clear to me after that his heart was broken. I know hearts heal........however that can take a while. Ironically, we bumped into each other at a local mall, the following Christmas. Tom didn’t recognize me at first, but I recognized him, so we said hello. It’s still funny because from the moment I saw him at the mall, we kept bumping into each other. And ironically, his car was parked close to mine, so I found myself walking behind him, even though I didn’t plan it that way. And he "no" to getting a cup of coffee! He still thinks I was stalking him, and to some extent I don’t mind that he thinks that. I’ve said to Tom many times that he’s beautiful and I wish he could see what I do; and he doesn’t come across as being shy but he can be. I think he likes the fact that I stayed interested in him even though there was no spark when we were first introduced. For our first date, we went to a restaurant in New Bedford called Davy’s Locker for dinner. That was April, 2002! We were both familiar with it. He lived nearby and I had worked there before. Tom asked me out a week or so before, and I looked forward to the date. We talked through most of dinner, but he kept getting up to go to the bathroom. We laugh about it now, but I started wondering if I was going to see him from the corner of my eye sneaking out to his car, figuring that he escaped through a window in the men's bathroom. And to my surprise the date didn’t end after dinner. Tom asked me to hang out for a while after and we started walking near a historic site near the water. I think we held hands and then he kissed me. I think I started floating in mid air because I didn’t expect that, and it capped the date perfectly. From that moment on, we've enjoyed our relationship and all the years spent together. We love to travel.........which is part of the theme of our wedding. Open yourself up to new experiences.........broaden your mind, be open to love. And most importantly, hold on when it feels right. So, looking forward to everyone joining us for our ceremony and a fantastic celebration to follow. And please note: we are not setting up a gift registry. We do not need gifts of any type. Time spent with you on 6/6/26 will be the best gift of all! See you there!