Looking forward to the weekend, teachers and students alike are more excited on Fridays. I had parent pick up duty, where the parents would sign out their child. My line was for the students with the last name starting with the letter M through Z. Every other Friday “Mr. Rowen” was there to pick up his son, Briar. Although we didn't say much to each other, that would soon change. During the next few months we would occasionally run into each other at random places, and became friends on Facebook.

We would exchange text messages periodically which usually ended with an offer to go on a date. The basic rules for teachers, “never date a parent of a current student.” Although it was flattering, it was always declined. Time would pass and we each went on with our lives. Then came Covid-19!

A pandemic, luck and a little charm finally brought us together. “Stay 6 feet apart” was everywhere. March 2020, the government closed schools and businesses. With nowhere to go and Zoom becoming the new way to gather with family and friends, any chance to be around people was a breath of fresh air. Backyard hangouts at a mutual friend's house is what made our paths cross again. Was it a coincidence? Was it fate? It didn't matter, we looked forward to it. Each Wednesday we would all get together, take turns buying the group a slushie and gather around to chat, it was a chance to feel normal. As the world was keeping their distance from each other, we were becoming closer.

With schools closed and Briar moving to the middle school, it was now or never. “Would you like to go on a date?” Finally, the answer was “YES!” Although at first we decided to keep it a secret, it was clear to us it was hard to hide how we looked at each other. July 4, 2020, two years in the making, the time had finally come for our first date. We drove to Bethlehem and had dinner outside at a table along the sidewalk. Afterwards, we laid on a blanket in a field and watched the fireworks light up the sky. It was a perfect night, the perfect date.

Since then, things between us have only gotten better. On the afternoon of September 3, 2022 on a beach in Naples, Florida, I got down on one knee and asked the kindest, thoughtful and most beautiful person in the world to marry me.

Thank you to all that will be sharing our special day with us.