A Real Life Valentine's Day Story...

15 years ago,

on February 13th, 1995,

I got a phone call

in my Virginia dorm room

from my mom.

She told me

a boy named Geoff,

from our church,

was recovering from surgery.

It was in our church newsletter

and they were asking people to send him

get well cards/notes.

Geoff was

the older boy from church,

(the one she knew

I thought was cute.)

He was the one I started

sitting up front to watch

every Sunday singing in the choir.

He was the one who played

beautiful trumpet solos

in front of the painted scenery

I was forever painting

for summer VBS plays.

The boy with a head full of

curly dark hair

and green eyes

who made me blush,

but I was never brave enough

to actually talk to.

He. had. cancer.

He was only 20 years old.

He had a malignant brain tumor.

(an anaplastic astrocytoma)

He had just had brain surgery

over Christmas vacation to remove it

and was back at school in Wisconsin

undergoing radiation treatment.

I wrote down his address on a scrap of

paper on my desk. Something told me,

a small voice inside my head,

that this was the start of something

that would change my life.

I bought a card at the campus bookstore.

I wrote a note inside, something

along the lines of,

"You don't know me,

but we attend the same church

and we went to rival high schools..."

"I hope you are doing well,

I'm here if you need a friend to talk to."

etc.

I put it in the outgoing mailbox,

not realizing the date.

The card arrived later that week,

it was postmarked February 14, 1995.

Geoff wrote back.

(this was before we had email accounts)

We continued writing

back and forth for

the rest of the school year,

throughout his treatments

and recovery.

We became really good friends.

We agreed to meet and hang out

when he came back home to Virginia in June.

It was love at first sight.

We were both smitten.

We did not know

what kind of future

awaited us.

We knew we were in love.

We did not know

what kind of prognosis

he would have.

We knew we were best friends.

We knew we wanted to be together

for as long as we could.

We have been married for 11 years.

We have been together 15 years,

since that fateful first lunch date....

and really,

if I'm being honest,

he's had my heart since I mailed that first

Valentine's Day Get Well card.

He still writes me beautiful love letters.

He still gets an MRI every year

to recheck his noggin.

He is still cancer free.

He is my best friend,

the father of our two beautiful daughters,

the best daddy in the world,

my partner in crime,

my one and only valentine.

Happy Valentine's Day Geoff,

I am my beloved's,

and my beloved is mine.

Yours,

MaryLea

xoxoxo