Love Story: His Version

JJ's Perspective...

I first remember seeing Kat running across the football field during practice apparently she was one of the stat girls for the team. I remember thinking how stunningly beautiful she was but me being extra shy I never pursued her and I didn't notice her after that until... We first met at Life Teen though I don't remember actually meeting her, everyone just kind of hung out together.

We really became friends when we went to the same college and went to noon Mass with about five or six of our other friends. I always thought that she was very attractive in both her physical beauty and personality. I probably would have pursued her then but there was an unspoken rule that she was already taken. So we were nothing more than close friends. There were many times during those good old college days that I wanted to let my feelings be known but it was just not the right time.

She went on NET and I put her in the back of my mind. I concentrated on graduating from college and getting my career started. I was really trying to discern what God wanted me to do with my life so I looked into different religious orders. I found the Carmelite Friars appealing and wanted to visit them. Through my discernment and some direct signs from God I felt more called to the marriage vocation. But who was to be my wife?

At about this time Kat came back from NET. When I saw her, something was very different and I somehow knew that she was the one. I needed time to discern if this was truly the will of God because it seemed too good. We went back to hanging out with our group of friends and I didn't know what I was suppose to do about my feelings for her. I really gave it all to God in prayer and asked Him to direct me.

After some months went by the young adult group went to a Catholic conference. There was a social gathering with music and dancing so I asked Kat to dance with me. As we twirled about the floor I thought "holy crap! This is it." What was I going to do? The next day at the conference after a long prayer session I let her know my feelings for her and to my joy her feelings were similar. So we decided to really pray about our relationship because it seemed so right yet so complicated.

After months of prayer and preparation we started our courtship. It was a fun and blessed time and we got to know each other and our families even more. I knew all along that I wanted to marry her. But when? After a year I proposed, on two knees, and she said yes. We were engaged for 11 months and that felt like such a long time. We had fun planning our wedding and so many people were willing to help. We wanted to be married already, but the date was set and we had to wait. By the way, I do not recommend long engagements.

Our wedding day finally came and it was one of the most blessed days of my life. Everything worked out perfectly and there were many pleasant surprises; like the classic car that drove us to our reception. That day we vowed to spend our lives together and to this day it has been more wonderful than I could have hoped for. The End.