A prelude to a kiss

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More than a decade ago, we almost certainly passed along the same street, or walked down the same halls towards class, and yet never had the chance to meet. Perhaps we had a glimpse of one another across the lake in the early morning mist – him on the side of the shore with a camera, me on the water in the boat at the other end of the lens.  

Ryan took this photo as part of a photography class assignment in college using the rowing team as his subject. I was on the team at the time and we practiced nearly every day. Was I in one of those boats in his picture? I like to think so. It makes a lovely story.

He moved to Kansas City after college and I didn’t move to KC for another 10 years, making it impossible for our paths to cross in the interim. One year after I returned to KC, we met - online. I used to think our meeting online made for a slightly less romantic story. But that was just the medium, the go-between for something I know was meant to be. We didn’t meet in college because it wasn’t the right time for us – I’m pretty sure we would not have been a good fit for each other back then. And yet we found each other 11 years later on the World Wide Web. That’s not easy to do (anyone that has tried online dating knows).  So now, on the eve of our 4th wedding anniversary, when every day I feel happier and luckier for the love and family we’ve created, I think the beginning to our story is romantic.

He was the first and only person I exchanged emails with, the first and only date I ever went on from my online foray (they should pay us to tell our story. We’re right here and waiting, match.com). Maybe it was an unlikely way to find each other, but then again maybe it wasn’t. Does being set up by a friend ever work out? Do people really meet in bars, or at church? In the end, everyone’s story is unique. And the intro to the story doesn’t mean much without the middle and the end.

In a way, finding this old photo in the basement after so many years puts a new beginning on our story – a prelude you could call it. Our story may still be in the early stages – but I like how it’s going so far.



Happy Anniversary, love. Every year just keeps getting better!

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