34-N-FORTY

365 Days of Thanksliving — Day 188

With a playful yet inquisitive tone, she asked, “You’re Mike’s best friend… right?”

“Yah, I am.”

“Well… he’s kinda annoying me; would you mind having lunch with me this afternoon?”

At first glance, all my boy brain could think was, “She’s kinda cute.” I replied that I would be glad to have lunch. (I thought I’d impress her with my Jell-O and carrot sculptures to win her over. Ha!)

One month earlier, Top Gun had hit the theaters with a bang, and every boy who had any level of testosterone flowing through his veins wanted to be Maverick or Goose. I know I certainly did! And in that moment, while the blockbuster was taking the nation by storm, the only thing I could think of was this gorgeous young beauty standing before me, who, quite frankly, made Kelly McGillis come in a distant second.

The scene was All Honors Music Camp, a.k.a. “band camp,” at the U of M in downtown Minneapolis. For over a week, she and I ate almost every meal together, walked to rehearsal together, and went on strolls in the evening over the bridge and through Dinkytown. After our concert, her parents invited me to have lunch with them at Red Lobster. Her folks hadn’t even turned 38 yet. Now, we’ve known each other for longer than they'd been alive at that point.

That summer we went on our first official date to—you guessed it—Top Gun, in Spam Town USA’s only movie theater. Our chaperones? My BFF Pete and her younger brother Kevin, two nerdy boys who sat just a few rows behind us (as if to say, “Now, no neckin’! We’re right here, ya know.”).

All summer long, I’d make the drive down to Austin from the Twin Cities to spend some time with my grandma, but really, to go hang out at East Side Park with my girl. I was infatuated, and somehow, I knew she was the one for me.

Well, six years later in that very same month we met, we said “ I do, till death do us part.” That was thirty-four years ago today, and it’s gone by like a flash.

I found the perfect card that illustrates a typical marriage, ours included. If you’ve ever been married, you might understand: ours has been like a rollercoaster. Fast. Exciting. Expecting. Hair in the wind. Sometimes scary and sometimes nauseating. And all along, it’s been a ride that I hope never ends.

Someday I know it will, but I honestly hope it’s not for another 34-40 years or so… to whenever the Good Lord decides it’s time for our ride to be over and Jesus meets us to help us walk onto the platform to eternal life.

I’m eternally grateful to the Lord for giving Danielle enough courage to approach me and playfully ask me out on a “dinner date”—even if it was only at the cafeteria. Because of her and her heart for the Lord, I have my eternal life to thank. She’s been the best friend I could’ve ever asked for, the love of my life, an incredible mother, and so much more.

Happy Anniversary, Dani! I’m so glad the Lord arranged for you and me to sit side-by-side on life’s greatest rollercoaster ride!  Every day I thank the Lord for you. How could I not?

Who, and what, are you most thankful for today, my friends?