My Valentine

As the third Valentines Day with the love of my life has past, I reflect on how blessed I am to have the husband that I do. We have one of the best love stories in my opinion…..

Hubby and I met in 1981 at the beginning of grade 7, both of us at the tender age of 12. Our fathers were in the Canadian military, we were going to school on the military base in Lahr, West Germany. From grade 7 to grade 1o we were in most of the same classes – he, a tall, gangly boy that had the most amazing eyes and curly dark hair. Me, I was a short, cute, slim blond with green eyes. We had mutual friends but never really hung out together. I moved back to Canada in 1985, leaving behind the many friends I had made. Such is the life of a military “base brat”.

Fast forward to 2007 – technology has been amazing to reunite many of the military kids across Canada, particularly the ones that had been in Germany over the years the Canadian base was in operation there. Facebook was reconnecting people that had not seen or talked to each other for years! Hubby to be sent me a message on Facebook – we had mutual friends on the site and that is where he found me. I was living in Victoria, BC and he was in Halifax, NS. He sent me a message and asked me if I remembered him. I did remember him – what I remembered most was that he was a nice, polite guy with fabulous eyes. His profile picture showed that he had grown into a very handsome man – and his eyes still made me swoon!

After a few months of Facebook messages morphing into MSNing and talking on the phone, it was time to see each other in person after not seeing each other in 22 years – since 1985. My husband is with the Canadian Navy and the ship he was on was heading to Boston in December of 2007 – he asked me to meet him in Boston. I was in a tither – I didn’t even have an up to date passport, what would I wear, I had not lost all the weight I wanted to yet, what about my 9 year old daughter and my dogs? I got the passport within 2 weeks, I bought some new clothes, I resigned myself to my current weight and my daughter and dogs went to my Dads with his blessing for my trip. Oh my!

The day before I left, my family was on tenterhooks – my uncle was lost at sea in Asia, there was concern that his sailboat had been pirated. I considered canceling my trip – this was my dads brother – the Canadian Embassy was involved, Search and Rescue from Australia was on the lookout for him too. Dad firmly told me to go, so I did with trepidation – not because I was going to see Greg after so many years, but because I was worried about my uncle. I flew to Boston on the red eye from Victoria BC, landing in the morning in a city I had never been to before. I was on adrenaline – didn’t even need coffee although I was drinking copious amounts of it. After finding my way to the hotel, I explored the city a bit and waited for his ship to come into the port of Boston. Fortunately, I also found out that my uncle had been found and was safe. Whew! I could enjoy the rest of my trip without worrying.

At 5 pm, we finally saw each other for the first time in 22 years and we knew that we were soulmates. We had suspected this was the case after so many hours of talking but seeing each other in person confirmed it. We had a wonderful time in Boston – it remains one of our most favourite cities in North America. leaving each other at the airport was heartbreaking – when we would see each other again we did not know – after all, we lived on opposite coasts of Canada.

With much planning and discussing, in March of 2008, I packed up my house, my kid and my dogs and moved to Halifax NS, the place of my birth in 1969 and now where the love of my life lived. I had come full circle. With hubby’s career in the Navy and his 2 sons from a previous relationship living there, he could not move.  My skills as a certified financial planner could land me a job anywhere (and it did with no problem).

In march of 2009, we married and in November of 2009 we welcomed our daughter Tara. We have four kids between us now. The boys (13 and 7) are with us part time and my oldest daughter (age 11)  lives with us full time. When all of us are together it makes for a busy house. We had to buy a van to fit us all into!

Every day I am so thankful that I have been blessed with a wonderful husband and family. As he brought me roses on Sunday for Valentines Day and a beautiful gift for my daughter, I thanked God that we reconnected and found each other again. We both married for the first time when we married each other and it was right. I wish that everyone could have the same love we share. Always and forever.

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