Six Stories: Number Five

How I Met Daddy 

 

I was devastated when my small highschool closed down when I completed grade eleven. It had been a long time coming, but those of us who loved everything about our school, ached for it to remain open. I was so unsure of the future and as I faced life in a new school in September, little did I know I'd meet the man I would marry, with whom I'd create all of you!

I settled nervously into my desk in Bible class and quickly glanced around the room. I caught a boy staring at me and I looked away in a flash. It must have been so obvious I was new, as many of the students had been together since grade nine. I knew that the boy was a friend of another boy I knew but it was still very awkward. Later, I found out that Daddy liked me and told all of his friends, "Back off, she's mine." We dated through grade twelve and attended different universities in the same city. We spent all of our time together and even shared one computer for writing term papers. We were falling in love.

 

It was the evening of September 11, 1993 when Daddy took me to Toronto Island on the ferry, armed with a large black garbage bag over his shoulder. As much as I begged, he wouldn't tell me what was inside. We had just been out for dinner and Daddy had given me a beautiful love letter. Now we were on the island and looking for a place to sit and watch the view. Daddy plopped that big sack down and pulled out a sleeping bag, candles, matches and a roll of toilet paper. First, he laid out the sleeping bag and we snuggled on it together. He lit the candles. It was so cozy. But I had to ask, "What's the toilet paper for?"

 

He answered, "That's for YOU! You always have to go to the bathroom at the most inopportune times! There's a tree behind you and here's the toilet paper."

 

I laughed so hard.

 

We gazed at the CN Tower and at the twinkling night lights. We listened to the sounds of the city echo across the water. It was busy over there. Where we were, it was quiet, serene and as though we were the only two people on the island. After awhile, Daddy reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a tiny box. He sat up straight and told me he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me. Would I marry him? I began laughing and didn't answer as I was enjoying the moment. Daddy flipped me over onto my back and sat on me! He held the ring in my face and pleaded for an answer. I said, "Yes!" I was so excited I wanted to go home right away and tell everyone. The problem was, we realized, was that there was only one ferry left and we almost missed it! Thankfully, we got to the gate just a minute before it departed.

 

Daddy and I got married eleven months later and lived in a small apartment while we were in our last year of university. We both had part-time jobs and came home in the evenings to "play house" as we called it. Many times, our lives didn't seem real. We had a lot of fun in that first year. As I write this we've been married for nearly nineteen years. We have been through a lot of difficult experiences but the Lord has sustained us, healed us, delivered us and helped us to grow into a great marriage. We pray that each of your future spouses are being nurtured well right now and that you'll also be able to enjoy beautiful, healthy, and intimate marriages.

 

Tomorrow I will share the story of my dreams.