How Did I Get So Lucky!

I’m not sure how I got so lucky but I’m about to give you a peek behind the curtain.  If you don’t want to see, don’t read.  People often ask me or my husband how we do it.  How did we get the marriage we have?  We have an amazing marriage and we are blessed with two great boys.  This does not mean everything is perfect in life, it never is.  But all I can say is I am one lucky gal.

Shauna, the gluten-free girl has asked for us to share our love stories.  I couldn’t think of a better thing to write about.

I met Scott when I was an intern at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC.  I worked in the marketing department and Scott’s office was just down the hall.  He was recently back from Jamaica where he spent time as a Watson Fellow.  I was one semester away from graduating and trying my hand at marketing research.  In 1985 that was a lot harder than it is now and not interesting to me at all.  I hated the work but I was in DC just having turned 21 and ready to explore the world.

I had run into Scott at the common WANG Daisy printer that always gave us problems.  We’d chat a little but that was it.  After all he was a worldly guy and I was in college and at that time had a boyfriend.  One day Scott was coming back from lunch with his boss and he mentioned to Scott he should ask me out.  Scott said no he didn’t want to date.  He had just come off a long relationship and then a string of interesting dates.   He was going to give dating a break.  Of course his boss had to egg him on and tell him he was chicken.  He claimed he was not chicken (he and Marty McFly have something in common) and asked me out to lunch.  You know that lunch date that is safer than a real date.

Well we went down the street to the Connecticut Connection for lunch.  He offered to pay since I was just an intern.  I tried to decide if that was nice or an insult.  I needed more information.  But lunch was much more enjoyable than either of us thought it would be.  He was really good looking but I wasn’t sure we had anything in common and remember I was dating someone else.  But what was the harm in going to lunch.

Well lunch turned into another date out to a movie and then a little ice cream.  I think we were both relaxed because I had a boyfriend so this wasn’t really dating and he didn’t want a girlfriend so we were just hanging out.

We quickly found out we really enjoyed each other’s company.  Even though we were different in so many ways there was this spark that could not be ignored.  I of course had to end it with the guy I had been dating because I really needed to see what this was all about.

We began to see a lot of each other both at work and after hours.  The time came when I had to go back to school to finish up and he was leaving to attend the Kennedy School at Harvard.  We continued to date even though the distance was great.  I graduated and wanted to move to Boston to see if this was really going to work.  It seemed so real but with so many miles and seeing each other after long periods away just wasn’t enough information for me.  My parents said I had to have a job to move so I became a Mary Kay consultant.   This way I could move right away and then look for other work.  A girl has to do what a girl has to do.

He went to school and I worked many jobs.  First at a health club as an aerobic instructor which helped me land my next job running kitchens at corporate and goverment cafeterias.  As for me and Scott, well we grew closer and more in love.  He proposed and I said yes and we planned a wedding to take place right after he graduated.  I had to quit my full time job and work at the restaurant down the street so I could have time to plan the wedding back home (PA) and design and make my wedding gown.

Let me quick tell you about the proposal.  When I graduated from college in December I didn’t walk.  You know the ceremony with the cap and gown.  Well Scott decided he would take his kazoo and play Pomp and Circumstance and then give me a gift.  It was a beautiful Cross pen.  A great gift for a graduate.  But he knew me all too well.  I of course dove into the box to look at the wood stand for the pen and pulled out everything.  At the bottom was a beautiful engagement ring.  A tear drop shaped blue sapphire surrounded by diamonds.  It was perfect.

We were married on June 20, 1987.  In some ways it seems like yesterday and others it seems like we’ve been together all my life.

How Did I Get So Lucky!

Scott is an amazing partner in life.  We work together, go to yoga together and enjoy life together.  He’s my best friend and the person I trust the most.  He allows me to continue to learn and grow in the areas the interest me.  He loves and supports me and is always cheering me on.  We can always talk about anything and often do.

So with people always asking what our secret is to our amazing marriage, well here’s what I think:

1. we pledged til death due us part and when things are rough we stick around to fix it

2. we love each other unconditionally

3. we communicate

4. we don’t take things personally which I think is key

So there you have it.  I just gave away the secret sauce and I’m not even earning a penny off of that.  Maybe someday we’ll write a book about it and then I’ll be blogging from some warm Pacific beach.

I consider myself very lucky to have found such a wonderful guy who loves me and takes care of me and our family.  I just couldn’t ask for anything more.

What about your love story?  Do you have one to share?  How you met, where your first date was, how they or you proposed?  I’d love to hear so feel free to share your story here.

I hope you take this time to tell someone important in your life that you love them.

Happy Valentines Day!

17 Responses to How Did I Get So Lucky!

  1. WordPress › Error

    There has been a critical error on this website.

    Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress.