10 Year Anniversary: On a Bench in San Francisco

Note: My bride and I will celebrate 10 years of marriage in September. I've known her 18 years. That's 3 years more than I have not known her. In the weeks that we approach our 10 year anniversary, I'll be posting mental photographs of the development of our relationship. This post is part 2. Click here if you missed part 1.

It was Thanksgiving 2001. I was in San Francisco visiting my sister. I was at a park by the bay. I was recovering, having just tried to catch a frisbee in my mouth that was thrown by my brother-in-law John (dogs make it look so easy). And I couldn't get Tammie out of my mind. I hadn't seen her since the summer, but I had been talking to her weekly on the phone. Something beautiful was happening but I was not going to have a "DTR" talk over the phone. So there I sat on a park bench in San Francisco yearning, waiting, and dreaming.

There is something painfully wonderful about waiting for something you want. Denying oneself is a spiritual discipline. For the first time in my life, I felt like I was ready to date. I had been waiting for a long time. Yet, I sat on a bench in San Francisco, alone. But my heart was warmed. I knew that waiting was strengthening my soul.

Eventually Christmas came. I was able to see Tammie in person. As soon as I could, I wanted to find out if she was feeling what I was feeling. We talked in depth for a couple of hours. We decided to begin pursuing a relationship as best as we could 600 miles away from one another. Two days later we had another conversation where Tammie clarified that yes, we were indeed dating. Apparently guys tend to assume things without verbally confirming them. Whatever.