My Life Monday: How I Met My Husband

I was 16 when I met my husband, and from the first time I saw him, I knew there was something very special about him.

I had recently been through a painful break-up with my very first serious boyfriend. There are people who don't believe that a teenage relationship can be serious, but mine was. We dated for two years, and I loved that boy with all my heart. When he dumped me for a cute redhead, I stopped eating. I couldn't sleep. My mother, who thankfully understood, likened it to going through a divorce.

I threw myself into my studies, working harder than I ever had at school. I joined almost every club offered, but nothing could lift the melancholy that had settled over me.

Until I went to my friend J-Tron's 17th birthday party in January.

I walked down the stairs to his basement, and immediately a feeling of peace washed over me. There was this guy with a ponytail sitting in the corner of the room, talking to some other people. The sense of peace was radiating from him. I don't mean to sound sacrilegious, but it was like walking into the presence of Christ. Just instantaneous, complete peace.

I came home and told my mom about this guy I'd met, who played the guitar and was full of such incredible peace. I showed her a picture, and she said Guitar Guy looked like he had a big nose. (He doesn't, but it wasn't a very good picture.)

I knew that I really wanted to get to know Guitar Guy better, but it was another eight months before I even saw him again. We went to different high schools, different churches, and lived in different towns, so I didn't have a chance to get to know him at all. But he was never far from my mind. When I saw him at an outdoor concert in August, I hastened over to say hello. He had no idea who I was.

I decided that I needed to get serious about getting to know Guitar Guy, so I enlisted J-Tron's help. By the time J-Tron's 18th birthday rolled around, I had a battle plan to get Guitar Guy's attention.

I spent the evening hanging on his every word. I listened to tales of his childhood obsession with He-Man. I heard stories about his battles with his high school principal over freedom of the presses for the school newspaper.

At the end of the evening, J-Tron gave Guitar Guy my phone number, because he clearly was not picking up on the idea that I was interested in dating him.

So home I went, and I waited.

He didn't call. Three days later I had just about given up when the phone rang. We set up our first date, and the rest is history.