Our “meetiversary”

Yesterday Mr. B. and I were talking about how old we are and how much time has passed us by and he reminded me that he remembers the day we met so well because we met on his birthday. I always tell this story when people ask about how we met, when and where…

I was 15 and he was turning 20 that day. He came to church because he was feeling guilty about not going, his ship was in port and my church was within walking distance. It was fate or luck or something but we met that day 19 years ago.

I was at the greeting table with my friend Theresa handing out bulletins and welcoming our guests when he walked up. I can still see him in his jeans and grey t-shirt, I can still see his smile and how charming I thought he was. As he approached the table I leaned over to Theresa and said “I’m going to marry him”. She laughed at my youngness and teased about me being a dreamer.

Mr. B. arrived at the table as I stood and handed him a bulletin and welcomed him I said “Hi I’m Ashley, so do you have a girlfriend or anything”? He smiled and laughed a little and said “I’m engaged”. I smiled even bigger because I love a challenge!

He will tell you that he was thinking how hard it was going to be to stay engaged.

We met several times like that, he would come to church and I was there waiting. We would spend more and more time talking. In my Bible I still have his last name on a piece of paper that I wrote so I wouldn’t forget it.

A few days after we met, I turned 16 and felt so much older and wiser, I planned dates for us and broke up with my boyfriend- yes I had a boyfriend. Mr. B. was out to sea a lot when we first started seeing each other. I would wait all week for him to be there on Sunday or Wednesday not sure if his ship was out to sea or not. One Monday night I called Mike and broke up with him knowing that my heart wasn’t in it anymore. Little did I know he had called Alicia that very same Monday and broken up with her telling her how he just wasn’t ready to settle down. That Wednesday night at church we told each other that we were single and free and the rest is history…

So now you understand our “meetiversary”.

That’s our story and we’re sticking to it.

I love you Mr. B- thanks for this life, thanks for being you and thanks for the “meetiversary”, without it we wouldn’t be here together today!