A Game of Love

It all started during our senior year of high school at the pencil sharpener in Ms. Jones’ 1^st period accounting class.  I would sharpen my pencil and he would smile at me and say something funny to make me laugh.  This went on for several weeks until I arrived to class one morning and found him sitting in the vacant desk to the right of me asking, “Did you do your accounting homework?”

For the rest of the school year, that was his seat - the one next to me.  We did our accounting homework together, studied together and it became a competition to see who could achieve the better grade.  I’m not ashamed to admit that he won and the truth is – it was more than a competition for grades.  It was a competition for love.

We were members of FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) and it came time to vote for officers.  As class clown, you can imagine the reaction from our classmates when he not only ran for the position but won!  I was the shy serious wallflower and along with winning votes, he won my heart.

We were married three years later.  It didn’t take long during our first year of marriage to realize that things such as not squeezing the toothpaste just right, loading the dishwasher properly, or putting the toilet paper on the roll correctly became BIG things instead of being little things. In all honesty, it was a tough year getting through those idiosyncrasies and I tell everyone the first year of marriage is certainly the most difficult.  At least it was for us. 

Since that time, we have celebrated moving on from our Taco Bell meals on a string tight budget that first year of marriage, graduating from college and the birth of our daughter.  We have watched each other grow on a spiritual, personal, and professional level.  We have had our fair share of heartbreaks and losses and we have seen areas in each other where we know God is still working. 

23 years ago today, I married my high school sweetheart, Barry Bullard.  He is the man who won my heart and has loved me unconditionally all these years, even when I didn’t deserve it. He makes me laugh when I am too serious. He is the calm voice of reason when I am in a frenzy. He knows me better than I know myself most days. He is the one I will grow old with and the one who will have my heart forever.

I smile when I think about our wedding day, but even more so when I think about our first date.  It was on that first date that he asked me to marry him.  In complete shock, I smiled and laughed out loud.  So thankful all these years later he wasn’t kidding after all.




Candid shot on our wedding day - April 6, 1991

 

 

 23rd wedding anniversary - April 6, 2014