From the moment I met Ethan, I knew he was someone I wanted to get to know. He had this way about him that was confident and incredibly kind. I remember thinking that when he talked to me, he seemed to genuinely listen to and care about everything I had to say. He exuded a warmth that was unforgettable. We first crossed paths at a physical therapy clinic (go figure!) where I was finishing up my first clinical rotation and where he got his first job. As a new hire, he had to hang out with me and my clinical instructor, Shane (who is in our wedding), until he found out the results of his boards exam and got his feet under him in the company. Oh boy was this intimidating! Not only did I feel I had to impress him with my knowledge, but I also had to learn new skills with him as "my patient". I have to say, I was very nervous but luckily I don't think he could tell. Haha. A short time later, I walked in for my last day at the clinic and to my disappointment, Ethan was not there that day. I left thinking I likely wouldn't see or hear from him after that, but luckily I was wrong. I kept running into him (yes, on accident). You see, we lived in the same building, went to the same gym, and often went to similar places. From there our friendship and later love for one another grew as we got to know each other.

The first thing that I noticed about Mary was her laughter. I had just accepted a job as a new graduate at the same clinic that Mary happened to be finishing a clinical experience. I had just started there and was still getting to know everyone. It was a busy clinic, with many therapists, patients, and lots of other staff. One afternoon, I was sitting in the staff room and heard a couple of voices from just outside the door. One I recognized as my coworker but the other one I wasn’t familiar with yet but I could tell she was happy. As they talked, she would laugh in this kind and welcoming manner. I could tell from the way she spoke she was confident and the type of person that was fun to be around. The confidence in her voice was so compelling that my first assumption was she must be a licensed therapist as well, just someone I hadn’t met yet. I was excited to meet this mystery person, anticipating her walking through the door into the staff room and shortly afterwards Mary walked in. I still remember the smile on her face, I will never forget that. The confidence I heard in her voice was immediately reflected by the look on her face, and the way she held herself. We had an opportunity to chat for a few minutes in the staff room before learning that we would actually be shadowing the same therapist that day, and several more after that. We ended up spending a lot of time together at the clinic and even ended up practicing a variety therapy techniques together. I was lucky enough to work with Mary for the next few days and get to know her even more. For the last 2.5 years we have continued to get to know one another and can’t wait for the years to come!