Dating Days

  

Our first date, May 1997, Image (c) Darlene G.

James and I met through a mutual friend early on in high school. That first summer, quarreling and nit-picking made it clear that our friendship was by association only. There was little love shared, let alone aspirations for future romance. 

However, as time went on, animosity gave way to mutual respect, and respect to mutual regard. We credit this change to our shared faith and friends. Through our friends, we enjoyed fun activities and co-curricular responsibilities, and through our faith, we shared a common bond.

We discovered first impressions can be confusing, if not fooling.

"Why do we fight all the time?" I asked.

He thought a moment. "I don't know," he replied.

And so it was that, in spite of ourselves, we could see no logical reason to carry our disagreements further, and we decided to make a go at getting along.

Love surprised us, unbeknownst to each other, during a year of separation when I moved to college in another state, and he remained to finish his senior year of high school.

Us at Friends' wedding, August 2000, Image by Tommy Cheung

I must confess that during this time, I thought about James more frequently, even writing in my journal that one day I thought God would have us marry each other. This was quite a revelation to read years later, and it began through a simple teddy bear he had given me that first Christmas home from college. His gift was thoughtful and unexpected, and moreover, I could read the caring in his eyes.

I think we came to care for each other because we saw a depth in the other person that we could not relate to in others.

Our first date was his Senior Prom, May 1997, and we have been an item ever since.

:: Dating Days Roll ::

Enjoy a few of these images from our dating days.

Hiking Mt. Rainier, September 1997

And at another friend's wedding, November 1997

University of Washington Graduation, June 2001

And we know that God causes
all things
to work together for good
to those who love God,
to those who are called
according to His purpose.
For those whom He knew beforehand,
He also chose
to be changed
into the likeness of His Son...
~ Romans 8:28-29a