Two years ago, after coming home from a champagne birthday celebration with two of my dearest friends, I opened my email, slighly tipsy and feeling warm and loved, to an email from a mysterious gentleman who said:
"I pulled your e-mail address off a comment that you left on the Quaker Ranter – hope
you don't mind! (I'm not a stalker, just a resourceful former journalist.)"
And then said a whole bunch of funny, balanced, and perceptive stuff about plain dress. And then emailed me nearly a hundred more funny, balanced, and perceptive notes. He lived in MA, and I was cosily tucked into NY. And then he came to NYC to fall headfirst into a caravan of my silliness, survived my attempts not to kiss him (I was DONE. WITH. BOYS.) and had me head over heels in love with him before he had to get on the next chinatown bus home. We took pictures, I cried, he got on the bus. And we emailed more. We talked on the phone late into the night, and often ended with periods of silent worship, faint rustling and powerful feeling coming over the line as we each sat and pressed our cell-phones to the sides of our bent heads.
Then a job came and I moved to Cambridge to be with him and to seek my fortune and my degree. In the past two years he has seen me through a tedious and wrenching legal process, a nervous breakdown, and countless tantrums and crises of faith (often the two are conflated.) He has prayed with me and joked with me and comforted me and challenged me. We have travelled together and watched bad 80s TV together. He has lent me his Pug and his unique point of view. We have brewed beer, drunk beer, and read about how to make better beer. He makes the most ridiculous silly noises and the most annoying silly characters. He is tolerant when I forget everything and remembers everything I forget. Also, he is adorable.
He's the best, and he loves me.
He was the best birthday present ever. I love you Jeff!
"Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor.
For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe unto him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up."
--Ecclesiastes 4:9-10.
PS: I wrote this post two days ago and tried to post-date it for Dec. 15th, my birthday, but it didn't work. grr.
11 comments:
Happy Birthday, Amanda!
And happy romance!
From your totally random non-quaker blog reader in NYC:
Allegra
Maybe I should register QuakerMatch.com? Seriously, it feels like you guys would have had to meet each other sometime through some happy coincidence! I'm glad for your happiness. Congratulations and happy birthday.
Your friend Martin
Happy thy brithday to both of you, and Pugsly too.
=)
lor
Happy birthday lovely! Miss you :)
Emme
Belated Birthday greetings are in order....that it was a Happy one is obvious. May you have many more.
Equally Happy Holiday wishes to you and yours.
Oh... one more thing, after all the effort at Harvard, and almost two years past, Well... Ryan, is it not about time to spring the joke... ( Oh, no, hope this does not give thee nightmares, Jeff!)
=D
lor
That's a beautiful post. Thanks for sharing that story. Jeff is a lucky guy. As are you, clearly. Lucky guys, the both of you.
Happy belated birthday!
I've already passed on my birthday greetings, but big cuddles to you and Jeff after that sweet, sweet post!
Hi, Amanda--
Happy birthday from one Sagitarrius to another (Dec. 11)! I had always wondered how you and Jeff hit it off.
Blessings,
Liz Opp, The Good Raised Up
Met my Quaker husband in nearly the same way... well, except neither of us were Friends at the time, but that shouldn't matter as we are now.
Beautiful story of you two, and Happy Birthday. I admire your plain blog from afar.
Sunshine in Oregon
Hey, I found your blog on quakeryouth.org. Didn't even know you had one. I enjoyed reading about your meeting Jeff. The Internet really is a wonderful way to connect with people we couldn't have found any other way!
See you later!
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