September 4th 2021

Four years ago I met the love of my life. My soul mate. My life partner. My best friend.

It started on a dating app that neither of us really knew how to navigate. On Sept 2nd, we swiped right on each other, and then apparently he turned off his phone and went to bed. I give him grief for this because I sat up waiting for a response to my little GIF that said "hi". He didn't see my initial message until he woke up the next morning, and told me he was pretty surprised that anyone had actually sent him a message.

He replied the next morning.

We talked about a few things, and one of them was pumpkin spice lattes.

He invited me out for coffee, and the next morning, we each got in our cars and drove to the Starbucks between our two homes.

I met him outside. We were both wearing our COVID masks because that was the etiquette in 2021, and I reached out to hug him. He tells me now he hadn't been hugged by anyone in a really long time, and was feeling shy and apprehensive. I tell him "and here was this woman who wasn't giving you a choice, you were going to hug me whether you liked it or not" I say now, giggling.

It was a strange time, but he leaned in and hugged me. I remember how tall he was, and that my head rested perfectly on his chest. It was a short hug that meant a lot to me, because I immediately felt comfort. I didn't have words for it then, but somewhere inside me I knew that this man was "home".

We walked inside, and he bought us each a PSL, and we sat down at one of the small round tables to talk.

We talked about everything! Our work, our children (a lot about our children), and our hobbies. I don't know how long we were there. Eventually, our coffees were gone, and we knew we wanted to continue spending time together, so we decided to meet up at a place where we could take a nature walk. A place we both knew and loved. Mary S. Young Park in West Linn, OR.

I arrived first, and while I was waiting for him in the parking lot near my car, a woman drove up and stopped in front of me. She leaned her head out the window and asked, "Was that a first date?" to which I grinned and said, "Yeah, it was!"

She was thrilled for us. She had been at the same Starbucks down the street, and somehow we all ended up with the same plans to go for a walk. That, or she was stalking us.

She mentioned something about "hope he's Christian..." as if she knew me, and thought that might be a value of mine. I laughed, and internally thought "hope he's an atheist...".

This part makes me giggle, especially now that the two of us are discovering what spirituality means to each of us. We are the same in this way, and I have enjoyed exploring our values in this area. Not the way she meant that day, but still.

When he parked and walked over, I told him about the woman who was "stalking us," and we both laughed pretty hard.

We shared a sense of humor, and I loved hearing him laugh and watching him smile.

We walked and talked about our families, sharing stories. He took me down to the edge of the river where there was a sandy beach, and he told me that it was right there that he fell in love with me. Right in that moment. We weren't doing anything particularly special, and I felt overdressed for the sunshine that was beating down on me in my jeans and cardigan. I had been self-conscious because I was beginning to sweat, and there he was, apparently falling in love with me.

I remember turning around, seeing him smile, and then walking back up to where he was. We kept going.

Back at the parking lot, I didn't want our day to end, but I did need a change of clothes if we were going to continue being in the sunshine. I told him I would like to change and maybe meet up to get some lunch.

So we did.

I went home, changed, and through the dating app, I sent him my phone number so he could more easily text me. He likes this part because he says it made him feel giddy.

We met up at another coffee shop, but this time for sandwiches. We got them to go, and took them back to the river, but this time it was the other side of the same river we had just been on. I brought camping chairs so we could sit, and we sat, we talked, we stared at the river, we ate our sandwiches, and I got super sweaty again. Haha.

We spent the entire day together that first day we met. Neither one of us wanting to leave the other.

He has shared that he got a text from his buddy saying "how did the date go?" and he replied "it's still going".

We both laugh at this.

Longest first date ever! But also, the best first date ever!!!

Now, every September 4th, we go to Starbucks to get a PSL. I love this tradition.

I love you my Steven!!

You have my whole heart!