Mackenzie and I had been acquaintances for most of our time attending the Pilgrim Academy. In our later years of school we became friends, but our friendship didn’t extend very far past saying “hi” to each other while passing through the hallways, or her finding a pair of baseball pants in the athletic office for me to wear when I didn’t have mine for a home game. We would sometimes joke about being distantly related through marriage someday, as my brother and her cousin had been dating for a long time, and we assumed they would get married in the future. At my high school graduation, I realized that she was also a big fan of mine when she wanted to have a picture taken of us with me in my cap and gown. This was our first picture together, and it tops the charts as the worst picture that we have ever taken or will ever take together. Needless to say, it will not be released to the public any time soon.

After I graduated, we didn’t keep in touch or see much of each other; however, I did kindly receive a verbal invitation passed along from my brother, letting me know that I was invited to her sweet 16 party late that summer. Of course I attended, and partied the night away like I do. Sure enough, about a year and a half later, my brother and her cousin had their wedding. She and I were both in the wedding party, and her grandma is rumored to have said something to her about me being a nice looking man. So thank you, Grandma Costa, for helping me out by possibly planting the seed at their wedding.

Nothing came of it until another year or so when she began attending Calvary Baptist Church. She stood out to me one Sunday and for some mysterious reason I saw her in a different light. My immediate thought was, “I gotta swoop in before anyone else gets the chance.” So I did my thing. I hit her with some smooth, polished charisma… except, what actually happened was probably the most awkward conversation either of us had ever had—but I didn’t lose hope. Fortunately, I saw more of her as the Sunday services passed. I was hanging out with my boy Jesse after church one Sunday and I was telling him that I thought she looked really good that day, but I was unsure how I could tell her. In that moment, my boy came through with the most masterly crafted pick up line ever uttered—which got me to where I am today. One week later, we went on our first date.

A few years back, we never would have guessed that we would end up together. We were introduced back into each other’s lives at the perfect time—when neither of us were expecting it. Early in our relationship, I knew there was something real between us, and everything seemed to fall into place. After getting to know each other well over the course of a year and a half, I took her to one of our favorite spots on the Mullica and got down on one knee. She said yes (obviously), and we embraced the challenge of wedding planning and eventually learning to build a successful marriage and family together.

I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you Mackenzie. I love you.

-Jared