I intended on kissing my first boyfriend in the rain. But since I was waiting for that perfect magical moment, and because it never seemed to precipitate when I felt ready, I didn’t kiss anyone when I was 17 (or any of the years preceding it).
When I was 21 I met a boy who had about one attribute that I was looking for in a man (curly hair). I kissed that boy in the rain and felt nothing – only excitement that it was raining and therefore seemed like fate. I secretly wondered if maybe I just didn’t like boys, since kissing was such a farce. This was quite the disappointment for having waited an entire lifetime.
It would be embarrassing to chronicle every boy that caught my attention. My scope was huge and while I prided myself on waiting for a “great” guy, I was distracted by quite a few specimens that were left wanting.
My brothers used to tease me and say that I was going to college for my MRS degree. I did want to get married and have children and stay home and raise babies (and of course write novels). But, by my junior year of college I had given up all hope of meeting someone that I could spend my life with. I decided that God didn’t want me to have a family, so I created extravagant fantasies of how I would spend my life. Some of them tempt me now, they were so courageous and exciting and spotlighted me being endlessly selfless (I really give myself a lot of credit). These dreams always included places like Africa (to help people) and Australia (because that would be so cool). And though I would never find love, I would probably go on adventures with pirates and cowboys and ninjas and other timeless icons. I would write novels about my adventures and I would be internationally acclaimed (I wasn’t kidding when I said I think highly of myself). And every day I would be like Robin Williams, seizing the day and capturing the wind and teaching unsuspecting students poetry… or something like that.
Sometimes your basic love story really is unexpected. Although I created every reason for things not to work out (seeking love in all the wrong places, anticipating the coming of said love so intensely that I idolized it, crushing on every random stranger who seemed to possess all the characteristics I so badly desired in a glance), God really did have someone intended for me. So, when I was a young girl and my Mom said, “I wonder where your future husband is right now?” it turns out he was growing up in Shelocta, Pennsylvania (who knew?). And God in his wisdom did not help foster feelings of affection until the timing was right, even though we knew one another since we were in kindergarten.
Now, also, God has blessed me with my very own baby. His name is Jack and he is so cool. I’m hoping that the three of us can go on many adventures including pirates and Luke Skywalker and Daniel Boone, and whatever else is hip these days. Oh, and in case you were wondering, the kiss was well worth waiting for.
