Can it REALLY be 13 Years?!

Surely not! 1995 seems like just yesterday. He's the hunk with his nose stuck in his Greek, German, Hebrew, and various philosophical books--discovering the power of thought and questioning ALL inconsistencies. She's the one traveling the world, dancing in the rain, and laughing at the moon (how dare any sky ornament suggest it's time for sleep). As friends, we witnessed one another's disastrous relationships for years before considering making a go of it together. But what we both wanted to know was: Can good long-term friends eventually really make good lovers?

One thing I still find interesting today is the conversation Lee had with one of our mutual friends before asking me out on a real date. When he told him the he was interested in me, he was met with, "Nooooo. Not Shaye!" Our concerned friend warns him about me. Sure, I'm fun, but in a relationship I'm often ambivalent--it will likely be impossible to tie me down. I am untamed and cannot be broken. Good thing for me (and most definitely for him), Lee didn't intend to tame me, at all. He was looking for more of what we already had--friendship. We both wanted companionship and a partner that complimented each of our own strengths and weaknesses. And that, my friend, is something I believe we do quite well. So while I must say that our dear friend wasn't wrong about me--I was everything he confessed me to be--I'm so glad Lee took the chance on that first date, after all.

It's impossible to share with you how I've grown to love and admire this man. Part of me wants to break out into song or share some lengthy poem while another part wants to say something sweetly childish like, "He's the BOMB!" Through thirteen years, you do face a great many things in life. Some are painful. Some are delightfully pleasant. I'm so glad we've faced all of those thing together. I don't want to dwell on how very different my life would have been without his love and friendship. It's rescued me more often than I'd like to admit.

And for those who don't already know the answer to our early question above: Yes, long-term friends really DO make the best lovers. Try it. You'll like it.

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Funny story for my children when they're older: Just weeks before our wedding, we went to Olan Mills to get some engagement pictures taken. In one of the poses, the photographer put me on the table on my back and had your daddy positioned over me, looking down at me longingly. We were both a bit uncomfortable, not even sure where to look, but we were laughing, nevertheless. As the photographer goes back to his camera to snap the picture, your daddy hollers out last minute, "WAIT! Is her father going to see this?!" Needless to say, we didn't purchase that picture, but I think I may have a proof of it somewhere in my boxes of pictures. I still giggle when I think about that moment. LOL