Fifteen

Fifteen years ago a young man decided to take a chance and put his heart out there. There was a girl he liked and he wanted to know if she liked him as well. They had run in the same circle of friends and it seemed like the timing was right--but was it? Did she want to go out with him?

Fifteen years ago there was a young lady-a senior in high school who was ready to have some fun and not be so serious! She had an early admit to college at the university of her choice and felt like she could ease up a bit. She had no boyfriend and wanted to have fun for the next six months of high school.

A boy she liked asked her out; she was very excited! But apprehensive. This boy had a reputation as a sort of "Lady's Man" and she didn't know if she could be quite that carefree. She asked him to let her pray about it, he agreed. So much for carefree!

Two days later, she laid some ground rules and then happily agreed to date him. He wasn't sure it would be worth it since she was such a "goody-two-shoes" but was ready to start looking for marriage material so he agreed to the ground rules.

With her being leery of the lady's man he was and him being careful of her goody-two-shoe-ness it's a wonder they had any fun, but they did. They enjoyed each other's company and spent lots of time together doing lots of non-traditional things. Cutting and splitting firewood, working on his truck, going to church. It was an eclectic assortment of activities; a foreshadowing of days to come.

She graduated high school and went off to college. He visited her during the week and took her home for the weekend, every weekend. After a year of dating she realized that her original plan had been to be boyfriend-less when she started college, to start with a clean slate so to speak. She laughed to herself when she thought of that high school plan she had concocted. She started dating him "just for fun" and now she couldn't imagine her life without him.

After fifteen years they still can't understand why they ever started dating; they are such opposites! Then to get married and have children? But it all works.

They love each other fiercely and it grows by the day.