Ever Mine, Ever Thine, Ever Ours.

For a long time, I wondered what good would come from the world being shut down. Our love story is a classic case of the power of social media and technology! On a Zoom summit, I sat waiting for class to begin. I was the administrator for the evening and quite honestly, I would have rather been in bed. As I listened to jokes and banter, I received a notification - “Rick Mayfield is in the waiting room”. He joined. I’m not sure what it was but something made me wake right up (definitely flesh, lol). I decided instead of disconnecting my video and focusing on counting sheep, I would listen to what he had to say. Class begins. “Has anyone ever watched Beauty and the Beast?” A childhood classic that quite frankly I had not watched in years. He spoke. He articulated his points without pause. His suit was steamed to perfection. His ring covered majority of his camera (he was definitely fleshy as well, oops). Class ends. I ended my evening not thinking twice about who I just encountered. I mean what could possibly come from this? A few text messages exchanged? A phone call once in a while? A relationship? Yeah right. The next day, I received a phone call. “Remember the guest teacher last night? He asked about you!” Me? Tell him to text me (I told you I was in my flesh, settle down!) That evening, I reached out first. “Grace and Peace!” Don't judge! We exchanged messages for what seemed to be forever. We shared experiences, discussed any topic you could imagine, exchanged dreams, goals, passions…

Fast forward: A month later we sat in a funeral service. Let's just say I have trouble seeing at times but he remembered our conversation and made sure to stand, clap, and “scoot” as much as possible! Three months later: We sat in a friends home eating pizza and playing games. “Will you be my girlfriend?” Wait. Huh? I was completely shocked by his words but before they could fully process, I said - yes. “I thought love was this simple, easy, beautiful journey of two people having fun. I was wrong. Love is this epic, hardcore, live action drama, with plot twists and suspense that turns you into the best person you’ve ever been. But that's real love - not that counterfeit joint that leaves you broken and jaded. I tried that before!” Four hundred and thirty-four days after that Zoom conference, he knelt on one knee. In that moment, I knew I was seen, heard and felt. I knew my prayers had been answered. This day will be the beginning of the rest of our lives! We are beyond excited and cannot wait to celebrate with you all! ------ My Groom, Thank you for surviving long enough for our paths to collide. Love, Your Bride.