The
Story of a New Friend,
and Her Romantic Love Story
by
Barbara Brabec
Have you ever noticed how some people just come into your life when
you least expect them and need them most? One day in June, I got an
interesting e-mail from Michelle Skrypek, a new reader who wrote:
"I read in
an article on your website that you met Harry and agreed to marry
him in only a couple of weeks. Reminds me of my own engagement to Mike.
We met on Saturday, and he asked me to marry him on Monday. When he
proposed, I had to ask him what his last name was! I had a sailboat,
canoe, and a kayak, and he had a truck with roof racks and a trailer
hitch, so I thought it would be a good match. Twelve years and
two kids later, our marriage has outlasted most of our friends!"
Michelle gave me a great laugh when she added, "I hope Harry
continues to sprinkle his own fairy dust on you from his resting place
above." I told her that idea would have cracked Harry up because he
would have seen it as an apt way to get even with me for getting glitter
in his soup all those years ago when I was going through my crafting
phase.
I soon learned that Michelle lived only
a few blocks from me, and she correctly assumed that the past few years
of being a caregiver while working at home had left me few opportunities
to develop personal friendships locally. Having read about my impending
knee replacement surgery, she offered any help I might need, and I saw
this as a direct answer to prayer because I had been wondering how I'd
get groceries and get to follow-up doctor appointments until I could drive
again.
In return for her generous offer of help, I offered Michelle copies of my books and
a free business consultation. Before long, we developed a wonderful
friendship and I met her husband and her two delightful children, who
love to play with my cat. (They can't have a cat of their own because
Mike is allergic to them.) As we got better acquainted, Michelle
gave me a few more details of her interesting courtship story, which I
found delightful and romantic.
Michelle
and Mike met through a computer dating service. She was
leading a canoe trip to the Upper Iowa River for the Fourth of July
weekend in 1993 when Mike called and asked for a date. When she told him
she was going canoeing in Iowa, he said Iowa was under water. (That was
the summer of severe rains when most of the Midwest was flooded!)
Michelle continues:
"After confirming he was right, that indeed
most of Iowa was under water, I decided to take my group white
water rafting in Wisconsin instead. We stayed in a little hostel in the
town of Leona. I brought my sailboat, someone else brought some canoes,
and everyone brought their mountain bikes. The object was to have a
fun-filled weekend, and no one cared if it was in Iowa or Wisconsin.
Well, when Mike called me back, I told him of my new plans and asked
him if he wanted to come along and join the group. He met us up in
Wisconsin. We were going sailing when he drove up in his SUV, and before
he even got out of the car, I knew that was it! (As I said, it was the
roof racks and trailer hitch that sold me!)"
A lot of people thought I was crazy when Harry proposed to me three
days after we met and I agreed to marry him a couple of weeks later. But
there were no doubts here because our souls had connected and, in all the
years that followed, through countless trials and tribulations, all
either of us wanted was to be together.
I've published this story because, in a day when more than half of
all marriages are failing, the world needs to hear more stories of
enduring love and successful marriages.
2008 Update: Michelle recently opened a Website to promote herself as
an ESL teacher, and
you can visit her site here.
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by Barbara Brabec
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