Hope. Trust. Love. Commitment.
Hope!Hope brought us together! The Cathedral of Hope and the hope for love! In 2008 we met in church at the Cathedral of Hope. We were both attending classes to become official members of the congregation. At the end of membership class, Jim came over. We chatted as I walked him to his car eventually exchanging contact information to keep in touch. However, even though we had a common interest in faith, it would take 3 long years before we could finally arrange a friendly lunch. I remember that day clearly. It was Wednesday, March 2, 2011, and I was very nervous. We met at Urban Taco on McKinney Avenue and had such a wonderful time. We laughed, ate, and talked like there was no tomorrow. Before we knew it, our friendly lunch turned into a 6 hour romantic afternoon. What a magical day! We had instant chemistry. We really clicked. So much so, that we have talked with one another every single day since our very first date. I’m so grateful that hope brought us together.
Love! Love lead me to make one of the most important decisions in my life. I wanted to ask this man to marry me. I wanted him and everyone else to know that he was the one. He was my person. He was my counterpart. My better half. My soul mate. Therefore, on the morning of 12.12.12, I decided to “pop” the big question at 12:12 p.m. (Is it evident that I really like numbers? LoL!)
So, at 11:50 a.m. I drove us to the parking lot of the church and parked in the very same spot where we had initially exchanged numbers. I told him that I had to deliver some important papers to a friend. He totally went for it. Next, I just had to wait until 12:12 p.m. so I could ask him the “big” question. My heart was racing and felt as though it was going to burst right out of my chest. The clock in the car was moving slower than molasses. Finally, at 12:12 pm I got out of the car… he was going to stay in the car until I returned. But thinking quickly, I asked for him to come with me because it shouldn’t take very long. He got out of the car; I heard his door shut. I then immediately knelt down on one knee. He rounded the car and his eyes grew huge. He asked me, “Are you okay?” My hands were soaked; I felt my face get warm, and my scalp started to tingle. I knew at that moment that I was right where I needed to be, and more importantly whom I needed to be with… I clearly stated, “Jim, I need to ask you something.” Well, by this time he had made it over to me and had noticed the ring that I had in front of me, poised like a man about to change his life forever! His hand covered his mouth as he inquired, “What are you doing?” And at that very moment I informed him. “I have never been more happy, content, and loved than I am right now. I love you with all my heart and want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you spend the rest of your life with me and become my husband?” He looked at me and gave me the most sincere grin of which I will never forget and stated,
“Yes. Yes, I will marry you and I love you too!”
Trust! Trust can be conveyed as
the confidence that one has in the
honesty, integrity, and character of another.
Trust was and is the very basis of every
conversation that we had.
Yes, we have had many 3 hour conversations that appeared as though we were still in high school. We could not get enough of each other’s company. The more we talked, the more I knew that I wanted to have him in my life forever. The list of attributes and characteristics that I so valued and admired in others; I had found in this one man. He was there for me in every way that I could imagine. There was a calm that came over me the more time I spent with him. I had finally found someone that I felt God had picked specifically for me. I felt like we could discuss all topics and situations free from vulnerability. That is trust. Palpable trust. To have someone to support you without judgment in regards to your dreams, beliefs, and daily life is very surreal. Trust in God. Trust in my mate. Commitment! Well folks, I about fell out! At that moment we decided to commit and share the rest of our lives together. I got up and put the ring on his finger. My mind was spent, and I could finally breathe again. He was just beaming. I got in the car and could barely remember how to start it. Jimmy then quickly reminded me of my “appointment” in the church. (I love how detailed he is.) At this point, I had to come clean and confess that I was just trying to get him to the church. As we were driving down Lemmon processing what had just occurred, Jim asked in a giddiest tone, “So, now what? Where do you want to go to?” I told him that this was as far as I had gotten in my plans, so he suggested that we have a celebratory lunch. I naturally agreed. We decided to spend our first meal together as fiancées at Stephen Pyles’ namesake restaurant in the Arts District of Dallas. What a wonderful day and a special occasion. It was there that we started talking about our wedding plans and living our lives as a married couple. Everything was perfect. Hope. Trust. Love. Commitment. This is what we share. This is what we live. Thank you for being a witness and sharing in our very special day!