Our True Love Story

Happy Valentine's Day to All!

Since it is a day filled with the celebration of love, I figured it was about time to share our true love story.

David and I met about six and a half years ago now, though I can hardly believe that much time has passed.

December 2006: One of our first pictures as a couple.

It was a warm day in July, 2005, and I had just recently graduated from high school, chosen a college, declared education as my major, and been accepted to the Saints Ambassador Corp at my college. It was definitely a time of change for me and while I was excited, I remember being extremely nervous.  I was on my way to my first orientation of Saints Ambassador Corp (SAC) which would begin to teach me how to give detailed, if not persuasive, tours of the university to prospective students.  Little did I know, I would meet my future husband at this training session.

I vividly remember meeting David that day, although everyone called him, "White Boy."  I remember thinking he was cute and adorable, and I remember how kind his eyes were.  I was intrigued, to say the least, but I was also already dating someone so I refused to let myself get too interested.  The day passed by and I vaguely remember much of it, except for my meeting with David and a few of the activities that we did throughout the training.  I then went home, gushed about my day to my parents, and anxiously waited for the start of the new year.

Another month dragged by, and I was finally moving into my dorm room.  Over the next few days, I had a lot of activities going on between SAC and Duns Scotus (the college honors society), and David was in both of these groups so we ended up seeing each other quite often.  I don't remember quite when we started hanging out together, just us, but it was soon after we met.  We found common interests in each other, and we enjoyed spending time together.  David was the nicest, most sincere, cutest, and gentlest man I had ever met, and he soon become one of my very best friends.

Despite the fact that I still had a boyfriend, David and I let our friendship (filled with flirting remarks and LOTS of hugs) bloom.  We went swinging in the park, rollerblading throughout the campus and the surrounding neighborhoods, and we spent a lot of time just talking.  The days we spent developing our friendship are some of the best memories I have from college.  He was always there to make sure I was ok, give me a compliment when I was down, or a hug when I needed it. He truly is an incredible person.

It was, however, a Catholic retreat that made us both realize there was a lot more than friendship in store for us.  The entire retreat, we were inseparable. I remember looking up at the stars, being out in the chilly fall air, and just thoroughly enjoying our time together.  I also remember how sad I was that the weekend retreat had to end, and then I vividly remember writing him a note about how close he was to me.  I told him that I loved him and that I eventually wanted to marry him.  Many years after writing this note, he would frame it and place it on our desk, where it remains to this day.

After that amazing time together, our friendship just continued to grow.  I was still dating someone else, but I wasn't happy.  I also knew, however, how hard it was to live with someone who has CF, and I began trying to push David away from the idea of being with me.  I told him everything, from the fact that I may never be able to have kids, to the fact that I will probably die well before my elderly years.  I explained the financial struggles associated with my disease, the heartache associated with it, the surgeries, PICC lines, and eventually probable transplant.  To my surprise, he didn't even flinch.

Since he didn't find it nearly as hard to accept as I did, I kept pushing him away further. I didn't want him to have to deal with all the pain and heartache of this disease, and I also wasn't quite ready to be in the relationship that would lead to marriage.  The combination caused me to put our friendship aside, a decision I still regret to this day.

Despite all of my pushing away, he kept pulling me closer.  Even though I was hurting him to no end, he was telling me that it would all work out.  He knew we'd make it, and he knew he wanted no one else but me forever.  Our relationship continued this way for another year.

Finally, in December 2006, I had completely ended my previous relationship, and David and I decided that I had to stop pushing him away because of my CF and let him make the decision.  Therefore, we realized it was time to go out on an official date together.  On December 14, he took me to downtown Chicago where we walked Michigan avenue, ate Mexican food, and shared a kiss overlooking an ice skating rink.  It was the best day of my life, and I knew I was hooked by this amazing prince charming.

We were inseparable as a couple from that point on. My friends cheered (as they had all been waiting for us to get together), my parents approved, and my heart was so happy.  A month later, David actually purchased an engagement ring for me, knowing that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me.

On December 14, 2008 David took me to a local park, which was adorned with lighted snowflakes throughout the trees, danced with me underneath a decorated gazebo (filled with with lights for Christmas), and then proposed to me. I screamed, jumped, cried, and of course said yes.  It was the perfect engagement, and I couldn't wait to tell everyone!

From there we planned our wedding, bought a house, and picked up a sweet golden retriever puppy.  On July 2, 2010 we exchanged our vows and began our life together as man and wife.  There isn't a day that goes by where I don't think of how blessed I am to have David in my life as my husband. He is my best friend, my lover, and my soul mate.  He truly is my prince charming.