Life has a way of bringing what you need into your life when you need it, sometimes it just puts the answers to the questions you had given up on, right in the palm of your hand. When you texted me and we spent the next several days on the phone talking and sharing everything, I just knew this was just too good to be true.  We then met in person at a Denny’s, I was just working on playing it cool.  I was hoping that you could not read all the thoughts and emotions that were flooding through me.  I had no idea where that meeting would take us.  I had no idea, in my wildest dreams we would end up standing on the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland and say I do! 

Our goal was to “do this the right way” we have focused on making each other’s dreams come true.  We did engagement photos, which was a great and wonderful time.  You proposed on one knee, at an amazing restaurant with a custom-made engagement ring, you did everything to make sure that all the details were tended to. 

I suggested a destination wedding in Ireland, as a testimony to your family’s heritage.  We jumped through hoops, after hoops, and filled out more papers than I can count.  We received approval to make our dreams come true and the smile on your face made it all worth the efforts.  I hope that I will forever be able to put a smile on your face every day for the rest of our lives.

Now, just as life has its way of putting you on different path, we are moving to Amarillo, Texas.  Some place neither one of us has ever been to.  What do we do, we pick up and just say let’s do it!  So, our first chapter of “do this the right way” will be picking our dream home and building our new life together in our very own part of Texas!

Isn't it crazy the way that life takes dramatic turns and unexpected paths to put you in places you never thought you would be? My story is very representative of the way this happens. As a matter of fact, It was the two letters,"Hi", that sent my life in a totally different direction. More about that later. When I left home after finishing High School, I moved across the country in search of what I thought love and marriage was all about. I quickly discovered that I had no idea what those concepts meant. It was also then that I learned that a few bad descisions can set into motion a path that is difficult to correct. I do believe that everything does happen for a reason but that we may have no understading of what the reason is or the purpose of what happens until much later in life. When I had the opportunity to return to Texas, I took it. Little did I know at the time, but this descision was one that would lead me to discovering true happiness. I came back to work for CareFlite as the Clinical Director. This would be the place that allowed me to meet Sarrissa and forever change my life. While we were both in other relationships, we quickly formed a friendship and a bond that would last. The better we got to know each other, the more I realized that Sarrissa was truly special. Although our paths did take different directions, we did state that if our circumstances were to ever change.... 

Time past and life happened. 

I found myself working in Palestine of all places. I had gone there looking for a fresh start and clean slate. I was single and not even thinking about a relationship. I had many times over the past several years thought about what real happiness would look like for me. Each time I would think about it I came to the same conclusion; Sarrissa... Of course, I had no idea where she was or if she was single. I had decided that I was probably going to remain single and focus on being a father for the forseeable future. It wasn't two days after I had endured another one of these soul searching sessions that my world changed. I was at work and was discussing needing a trauma certification with one of my coworkers, Tesha. She asked if I knew Sarrissa. I spoke before my brain was able to engage and what came out of my mouth shocked us both. "I was madly in love with that woman." blurted out of me before I could even think. After a short, but rather awkward, silence, Tesha informed me not only where she was, four and half hours from the very spot I stood, but that she was also single. I don't recall all of my thoughts at that point but my path moving forward was very clear. 

I began thinking of the best way to approach the situation. I wrote several letters thinking that I could better express myself by writing everything down. I tore each of them up, never happy with the way they sounded. Once I finally found my courage, I decided to send her a text in an effort to begin a conversation. I wrote and deleted more texts than I can remember. I remember sitting on the back bumper of the ambulance and being frustrated that I was unable to craft what I thought was an intelligent text. It was at this point I began writing another text and when I didn't like the way it sounded, I deleted all the way back to "Hi". I sat there and looked at the screen for several minutes and finally hit the send button. And the rest, as they say, is history. 

 After hours on the phone that day, we agreed to meet in Waco for a late dinner. I can remember driving to Denny's and being more nervous than I had ever been in my life. As I walked in I saw her sitting at a booth and felt my heart jump. We enjoyed a light dinner and caught up on what had happened in our lives since we had seen each other last. After finishing talking, we walked out to the parking lot after agreeing to see each other again. We talked in the parking lot for a some time and while saying our goodbyes, we shared the kiss that will forever be etched in my brain. It was clear that we were meant to be and I never looked back.