9 years ago this week I started dating Matthew. We met while I was working and he was taking a lunch break. It wasn't a setup, we weren't at a bar or looking for anyone. He saw me and I saw him. He kept coming in for lunch and I obviously kept working each day. After a few times I actively tried to get him sit him in my section. He asked for my phone number eventually after some prompting from the other recruiters he worked with. He called me and we instantly hit it off. I started to text him and he called me since he was driving. We talked on the phone for over 5 hours straight before our first date. I felt an instant connection and just wanted to know him more and more. We went to IHOP at 3 am after talking on the phone and talked more there. Our first date was supposed to be that Saturday, but we had an impromptu first date instead. We dated for 18 months before we got married. We did have our ups and downs and I think that it definitely helped prepare us for marriage because we got a lot of issues out of the way before we decided to be together "forever".
I still feel to this day that we were meant to be. He is my best friend and I can't imagine what I would do without him in my life. I know that sometimes I drive him crazy and he does the same to me too for sure, but marriage isn't about always being happy or right, or getting what you want all of the time. Marriage is a wonderful thing, but that doesn't mean that it isn't hard at times. I see a lot of people comparing their marriages with others, but we never know exactly how others' marriages are and I think that that can only help us lose sight on our own marriages.
