A Wak to Remember

It was a year ago today that I met the love of my life for the very first time. It was a Sunday afternoon. We had first started texting each other two days prior. Nonstop texting. We used that time to ask one another a lot of "getting to know you" questions. He had asked if he could take me out that weekend but I declined and suggested maybe next weekend. Lilo was having a Lyme Disease flare-up and had recently been prescribed some medication to help with the pain and weakness. Being the worried dog mom I am, I made the choice to stay home with her all weekend so that I could monitor her and get extra puppy cuddles. I'll be perfectly honest, I was kind of glad to have a good reason to say no and stay home. It was nothing against Mark, he seemed like a normal and nice guy from what I could tell, but I was tired of going on dates that seemed to be dead ends. I was strongly considering taking a break from online dating at that point before responding to that one last email. 

Union Point Park, New Bern, NC 3/15/15

Sunday morning rolled around and I thought I'd have the week to figure out what I would do. At some point during church that morning I had the overwhelming feeling that I just needed to meet this man and stop putting off what I was predicting to be the inevitable. Once church was over I sent him a text inviting him to meet me downtown for a walk. As I waited for his response, part of me hoped it would be too last minute for him but then I found myself feeling disappointed at the thought of him saying no. Thankfully, he said yes.

A few hours later, Lilo (who was feeling much better) and I met Mark, who had driven an hour to see me,  at Union Point Park. We walked all around downtown and historic New Bern that afternoon. Conversation came easy, like we had been friends for years. After our walk we sat on a bench at the park and talked some more. We easily spent 2 hours together and I was kind of sad that it was coming to an end. When it was time to go we hugged and went on our separate ways. A while later he would  tell me that on his way home he called one of his best friends to tell him about me and told him that he was going to marry me. I can't say that I knew that early on but I knew there was something different about this one. I remember telling a friend at work the next day that I was smiling big the whole way home. It sure was a walk to remember!

This was our very first picture taken together about a week after we met. We were at the Unspoken concert here in

New Bern. Mark likes to remind me that he kept trying to hold my hand that night but I was acting too shy, nervous, or maybe was just unsure. I eventually did hold his hand though ;)

"Have enough courage to trust love one more time.
And always one more time."
Maya Angelou