link--this

redsugar, it's no big secret that Todd and I only dated for 6 consecutive weeks during my sophomore year of college...although we remained close friends the three years we knew each other... My junior and senior years at OU I was in a long-distance relationship with a former OU grad who was a Navy jet-fighter-pilot-in-training. Things with him ended just a few weeks before Todd and I got engaged. He went on to date someone else (I think he may have even married her eventually), but he seemed less than thrilled when I called to tell him the news of our engagement -- and I haven't talked with him since.

Back to Todd and me though...he was one of my first serious college relationships. I was going through a lot with my family, and even more with my current roommate, and I just wasn't 'grown up' enough to handle a long-term relationship at the time (even though I thought I was). Whether I wanted to see it at the time or not, I was lugging around some pretty serious baggage. Todd made a complete break a week before finals for the fall semester, and we didn't speak again until the following summer.

After that we kept in constant contact -- but I was dating others (eventually the one mentioned above) -- and it was purely friendship between the two of us. We'd go on a date here or there, once again realize the timing was wrong and it wasn't working, and go back to being 'just friends' again... I also went into therapy short-term during this time and started making some major changes in the way I lived my life and dealt with others (family and personal relationships).

After I graduated in May of '95, I moved off on my own to Mobile. Todd found me on graduation night after driving all over town, and later went to my apartment with me to beg me to stay. I didn't listen. I didn't know a soul when I landed in Alabama and it really was my growing up time. I took charge of my life, and my career once and for all -- moving to Philadelphia shortly thereafter. Todd happened to call the week I was packing for the big move to Philly after my summer o' fun, and begged me to move back to OU instead that fall. He was really starting to miss me. But I refused and made the drive north.

We have a box full of letters that we exchanged during the fall of '95 -- one of the first ones from me telling Todd I wasn't ready to marry for at least 5 years. I'd found a job and life I loved and wasn't ready to give any of it up to move back to Oklahoma (where he was still in grad school). He proposed six weeks later in Washington D.C. -- and we were married less than a year after I wrote that. I moved back to Oklahoma in March of '96.

He took a chance that I had really grown up once and for all that fall -- that I was completely over someone else -- and totally in love with him. And that chance paid off! I'm so glad we became such close friends first though. We knew each other inside and out, flaws and all -- and still fell in love all over again. I wouldn't have it any other way...no matter how painful the first break-up was... I really did marry my best friend.

¤ ¤ credit: robyn | 03.25.02 at 08:10 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

Robyn, just wanted to say. Your wedding dress was gorgeous, very elagant!

¤ ¤ credit: munin | 03.25.02 at 08:42 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

Thank you very much! I was extremely picky on what I'd even look at... ;-)

¤ ¤ credit: robyn | 03.25.02 at 09:27 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

I would think that since you run *whollymatrimony.com* that wedding books and mags would be an acceptable expense. I've been wed for almost two years now, and I still itch to buy this stuff, because it is such fun to read. Maybe now I will!

Do you subscribe to these mags or buy them at the store? I know I have been tempted to buy them, but felt funny about it because of my rings! I love the Martha Stewart Weddings issues!

¤ ¤ credit: Christine M. | 03.26.02 at 04:13 AM | link--this ¤ ¤

I am sure Todd's glad to know you picked him after hearing that ;) Yup, very classy, like it very much.

¤ ¤ credit: munin | 03.26.02 at 06:18 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

Oh I think Todd always knew deep-down he was the only one. He had me at "hello". ;-)

¤ ¤ credit: robyn | 03.26.02 at 06:31 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

There you go quoting one of my favorite lines
"you had me at hello".

Excuse me while I get all mushy and sappy eyed.
Not that it's my place to say, but I am truly happyto know that two wonderful people like yourselves have eachother in their lives.

¤ ¤ credit: munin | 03.27.02 at 01:44 PM | link--this ¤ ¤

oh wow. that sounds so much like my relationship with the guy i want a second chance with. i was too young and had way too much baggage and emotional damage, and thought i knew everything. and i hurt him quite badly. i still don't think i'm mature enough to pull it off, but you've given me hope at least. you're so lucky to have gotten a persistent one. (and he's very sweet too)

¤ ¤ credit: redsugar | 03.29.02 at 01:42 PM | link--this ¤ ¤