Let’s go back… I mean WAY back. 2009 at Somers Middle School. Mr. Savastano’s 6th grade accelerated math class. Johnny sat in front of Kristin. They were in love and as soon as they saw each other they instantly connected.

Just kidding, this isn't the disney channel. That didn’t happen but that would make one heck of a story. It went more like Johnny “supposedly” had a tiny little crush on Kristin but honestly had a lot of other stronger crushes – as most middle school boys do. By most definitions they were friends… but by the time 7th grade math rolled around, Johnny dropped accelerated math so that friendship fizzled out.

Fast forward to Spring 2014. Kristin got invited to her friend Conor’s house for a good ole Somers bonfire. Johnny was friends with Conor and got invited to the same bonfire. Johnny spilled mountain dew on Kristin’s phone that night and made her laugh a lot. By the end of the night, Kristin thought Johnny was “cute,” as she told her best friend Christine, but she would never admit that to Johnny. The summer of 2014 Kristin and Johnny began to hang out all the time with their mutual friends – late night diner runs and MORE bonfires. By the time senior year began in the fall, they were pretty good friends. They spent the fall and winter together during study hall, highschool football games, and hanging out in friends’ basements.

It’s senior year which means it can’t be all fun-and-games. While Johnny and Kristin are becoming good friends, they each are separately looking and applying to colleges. Kristin secretly did not want to go to college, but after a pep talk with a trusted mentor, she decided to apply to that mentor's alma mater. The mentor spoke about a college down south on the ocean. It was a cute college beach town that also had a beautiful downtown river area. It had a great special education program that the mentor had graduated from. Simultaneously, Johnny’s cousin, Alyssa, was telling Johnny all about her fun experiences at that same college down south, on the ocean, with a beautiful downtown river area. Johnny and Kristin were texting about their college searches and both revealed that they had applied to UNCW. They were both equally as shocked that each other had applied there.

Johnny decided to ask Kristin to prom in March 2015, and they agreed to go “as friends.” And when college decision day rolled around, they both found themselves saying “I do” to UNCW. The possibilities were endless. They began to text everyday and slowly the conversations were getting deeper – feelings. Despite having all of the cards pointing to Johnny, Kristin was getting cold feet and began to self sabotage by turning a complete 180 on Johnny and reminding him that they were only friends. Johnny was confused by Kristin’s switch-up but he was kind and forgiving and still agreed to go to prom with Kristin.

Prom came and went. Then came the post-prom senior trip to a beach town in New Jersey. During this time, Kristin ended up going to the hospital due to others’ reckless behavior. Johnny was right by Kristin’s side through it all. He even left the trip a day early with Kristin when her parents picked her up at the hospital. After being home for a day, Johnny brought Kristin goodies and sat with her while she was in bed and made her laugh. This was the moment Kristin knew that Johnny was special, and that she probably messed up by not giving him a fair chance. They hung out a lot that summer without their friends – going on hikes, ice cream dates, and beach trips. They were basically dating but without the title. But of course, Kristin had to make it interesting. She decided to defer her college enrollment until the Spring 2016 to pursue mission work and other things. This meant that Johnny would begin college in August 2015. She was worried about being long distance for that long so they decided to stay without a title while Johnny started college.

You know what they say – absence makes the heart grow fonder. They texted and facetimed all the time despite the distance and their different schedules. After some time apart, Johnny and Kristin realized that they were destined to be together. Johnny also texted Kristin that he loved her after a college frat party one night so there was that… And the rest was history. Johnny and Kristin began officially “dating” that October. Through ups and downs, Johnny and Kristin have grown as individuals, and as partners together.

Their story personifies love that is patient, is not easily-angered, protects, and perseveres.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails.