January 9th

I think about 99% of photos of us together are like this- Mark holding out his arm to take the shot.

Nineteen years ago, on a cold Sunday afternoon, a guy I was friends with stopped by my college residence and asked if I'd like to take a walk with him.  I agreed.  As we walked, he talked- and he told me that while he'd met girls before who were nice or friendly, and seen girls who were pretty or fun to be with, and he'd met girls he had admired before-- he had never met a girl who was all of those things in one package.  It took me a few minutes to realize that he was talking about ME.  Once I got that figured out, he asked me if he could start dating me. 

I said yes.  

I love that guy. 

Oh!  But here's one someone else took! 

We always acknowledge January 9th because of that life-altering walk through our college campus together: the one we began as friends and ended as more-than-friends.

Happy 9th, Mark!  {Thanks for noticing me and being so brave to ask me out.  I'm glad you did.}