The number 8 has always been a good number for me. My birthday is on an 8th as is my son's. I use to be the number 8 on our youth soccer program as a kids growing up. I've have always favored even numbers, there is just something round and complete about them. About two weeks ago, when someone asked me out, I had know idea how much I would be grateful it landed on an 8.
As I believe I stated in a previous blog, I did indeed join a Christian dating website a few weeks back. I even drove a ways to meet up with a guy I was so hoping something would work out with. The day after I returned from meeting up with him and questioning whether he really was who I thought he was, I received a smile, as they call them and then a couple emails from a man with a comforting smile. He had emailed asking where I had went to school, as he thought I looked so familiar. Sure enough, the next day, as we instant messaged, we discovered that we had indeed went to school and graduated high school together. To be quite honest with all of you, I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to talk to him any further. I credit myself with leaving my past in the past and I didn't really know if I wanted to venture back to high school memories. But the more we typed, the more I thought to myself...how much do you really know about him. How would a relationship work with the guy from Rochester anyway? As we typed, he picked up on my love of Italy and Italian food and we decided to go out that next night...as we are both childless on Wednesdays.
The next thing I know, I was all nervous, sitting in my minivan outside of Villa Dolce. What did I really know about him? Yes, he was sadly picked on in school, but in our school, who wasn't! He was shorter, I rememberred, and had glasses. Well, as I finally got myself to stop nervously texting my sister I went inside to find he had now grown to six feet and now had contacts too. We sat down and started discussing life in person. I really enjoyed being able to relate to our past. He too, met someone in his teens, stayed with her, then married her having two children together. He two, discovered his spouse had met someone else and the divorce process began. He was filled with such empathy and interested in all I had to say. He too, eventually, turned to God for help. He became an active member of his church and you can tell from meeting him, he is living the life of a Christian by example to his children, by the way he loves and cares for his family and the kindness and respect he has shown me any time I have been around him. When he asks how it is he found me again after all these years, I remind him that we never really knew each other back then...nor are we the same person from high school. Hopefully we have grown and learned through our challenges/struggles in life and have grown into stronger, better people.
As we were in another world, enjoying our dinner as well as company, a waitress arrived, followed by the hostess and owners, asking us to please move to the cellar. There had been a tornado reported nearby and a tornado warning was in effect. As we ventured down into the cellar, along with the rest of the visitors at the restaurant, I later found out it was over 200 years old. Not sure what would happen next, we joked about the unopened wine located nearby and turn to our phones to view the news and weather.
Upon returning upstairs, I joked at the check out that our first date will sure be a memorable one. Just as I spoke, the Italian owner came over with his strong accent and said, "Hey, please don't leave have a seat over here and keep talking!" We did have a seat at the small but colorful light-up bar across from the flat screen TV in the entry area, with all the weather updates. The tornado warning may have been expired, but it was really storming still out there and neither of us were in any hurry to go anywhere.
Again, we went off to another place in discussion, only realizing we were still sitting there when we saw the owner turning off the OPEN sign in the front window behind us, as I asked him again, "Do you need us to go?" Then he replied again, "OH NO! You two stay, keep chatting, enjoy yourselves!" Yes the old Italian man must have already seen what we can now see. Something more was there between us.
Following that memorable first date, we texted, IM'd and spoke on the phone on and off all weekend that we spent with our own kids. The following Tuesday, my daughter was out of town with a friend at a water park and then I decided to try bowling. Yes, my friend and I just "happened" to run into each other at the exact same bowling alley with our kids at the exact same time. My youngest son and his two children had a great time as we bowled and then enjoyed lunch. My daughter, on the other hand came home quite upset that his brother got to meet mom's "Boyfriend" as my 9 year old called him and she had not yet! As I texted my new friend this, we decided they could meet when he picked me up on Wednesday for our next date, as her Dad was out of town and I needed to get a sitter. On Wednesday night, we went to The Great Dane for dinner and then to the movie Midnight in Paris, which was playing at Sundance. I should have looked at the box/description closer, as it was not exactly when I expected...and I do thing we were two of the youngest people sitting in the theatre. But the company was wonderful so nothing else mattered. When we were done with the movie, we had a little time before relieving the babysitter. A few minutes out of the parking lot and it comes to him, a surprise he said. The next thing I know, we were sitting outside of Cold Stone Creamery. Looking up at the full moon peaking out from the clouds and talking more about relationships.
Friday night, my new friend made a homemade Italian dinner for me, being half Italian himself, as he had previously pointed out and quite domesticated. I can clean, do laundry and even cook...my speciality is Italian he had stated. I made him my grandma's famous peanut butter pie for dessert. Ironically, he had explained on the phone the night before, that his Step-Mom had loaned him the movie Fireproof and had asked if I had any interest in watching it. Of course! I heard a lot about it too and had wanted to see it. I was a bit surprised and excited by the face he would watch a Christian romantic comedy with me. It was a great movie about marriage and relationships, if you ever care to rent it.
How did I miss, the invitation of him to our Thursday night dinner and trip to the local pool. The kids both had a good chance to talk to Mom's new friend and it went amazingly better than I thought they would.
Finally to Saturday. As he picks me up to head to New Glarus, I am reminded my parents were stopping in town to meet with their landscaper and begin putting up some storage shelves in their home being built in town. SO, after he arrived to pick me up, I asked if we could stop by. We got the official tour and my parents had a chance to meet him. Then onto New Glarus the two of us went. First, we made it to the New Glarus Brewery before the self-guided tours were over. We got a kick out of a lot of the products, signs, etc. Then it was to the tasting room! A very large, crowded and popular place to be! Not to mention the big fountain and outdoor Beirgarten as they called it. After getting our first picture taken together, we headed onward into town. The town's architexture and Swiss decor was a joy to look at as we were on our way to the Garen Shlueb. Here, we had the authentic Swiss Meatballs and New Glarus Beer...only seemed right after touring and tasting it the brewery. After a great and entertaining dinner, we decided to walk around the main streets and do some shopping /browsing. Eventually we made it back and picked up a movie to enjoy together.
Finally we made it to today, Father's Day. We began by meeting his Dad and Stepmother as we worshiped together at their church. Then, after hugging his kids goodbye, I headed over to help my own Dad unload a van full of items to move ahead of time. After he and Mom headed back towards their current home, I met my friend and his kids for dinner and a blast in a nearby park afterwards. What a fun and wonderful end to the rest of the fun-filled weekend! As I told him on the phone tonight, I'll never forget driving off as the three of them, all adorned with beaming smiles and excitedly waving hands and arms drove off towards home the other way.
As my new friend has commented, "How did I ever find you, Lisa"
I have responded, "God. It was his plan, on his time for us to find each other."
His response to that. "Amen Lisa, Amen to that."
Yes, I am now understanding what my friend and coworker meant a few months ago when she was sharing what had been happening in her own personal life. As she said and I'll never forget, "It's a God thing Lisa, I just can't explain it, but I know it is." I can now see where she was coming from.
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