Tales of Love

As an incurable romantic Valentine's Day is one of my FAVORITE holidays. Ever since I was little I have always been sentimental. My Mom, the greatest example of a loving human being here on the face of the earth, always showed by example her unconditional love to all of her children. As I grew older, and became a young wife and mother, I discovered just how much I could love others and felt so blessed to have my husband and kids (who are young adults now) in my life. There were changes that would occur, that were unexpected. When Dan-the-Man came into my life a whole new chapter (more like book) of the meaning of romance came into my life......
I was divorced with two young children to care for, and didn't exactly have the faith that love would come my way again. Dates gone bad, fix up by friends that went south left me wondering if love would ever come my way again.

One day while on the Internet I found a link for pen pals. This wasn't a romance site, just a place to exchange e.mails, have some conversation. I met a nice lady from France who was a school teacher, a hilarious guy named Bob (whom I'm still pen pals with today 11 years later) from Michigan, a farmer's wife from Tennessee with three children.....and then Dan-the-Man. Dan and I started exchanging e.mails, stories about our lives, families, work, interest.....and things started getting more and more interesting. After several months of e.mailing each other, we braved the waters and took a graduated step to phone calls. On one phone call Dan announced "I want to fly out to meet you in person". **GULP** Scared, excited, twitter patted, butterflies, all wrapped into one, I agreed.

The weekend was memorable beyond belief. Our first kiss took place at the top of a mountain after a tram ride up the Palm Springs Ariel Tramway on a beautiful September day and our romance began. I was living in California, Dan in Kansas, and when we had to say goodbye for his flight home, we knew we should never be apart. Both of us were already lovesick. That's when the romance became incredible....love letters, emails that made me (and close friends who were in the inside loop) swoon. Love quotes everyday that left me floating on air! After flights back and forth from Kansas to California and California to Kansas our hearts could not take the separation. I flew out to Kansas and Dan had the most magical weekend for us planned. A single rose for me when picking me up at the airport, a dozen long stemmed roses at his place with chilled champagne, dinner at a cozy Italian restaurant....then a walk down at the Country Club Plaza. He arranged for a carriage ride and while under the stars above, proposed to me and I have been madly in love with him ever since!

Of course you are getting the reader's digest version of this story, but I just want to say if you have a lonely heart on Valentine's Day, keep your chin up and eyes open because sometimes God had other plans for you. We may not always understand at the time why we face the challenges we do, but there is a reason....sometimes those reasons aren't clear at the time, but when the time is right, things fall into place and you will live your happily ever after life, like me!

XOXOXO, Nancy