By: Thomas Coop

Tabitha and I grew up only a few burgs apart from one another and were in close proximity for much of our lives. There were many times our paths could have crossed but didn't.

She used to work as a server at the old Perkins in Eastgate, a place that my family and I frequently visited.

I used to work as a mail carrier in Bethel and her house was on my route. I delivered amazon packages to the house quite frequently.

It always surprises me how many times Tabitha and I may have crossed paths in our lives, but never did, until it was the right time.

After years of struggling to find a good relationship, I made a decision to try one last time. I used Facebook dating. A platform, that on two other occasions didn't work out.

I said a prayer asking that by midnight on New Years Eve 2024, I would be sitting next to the woman that I would spend the rest of my life with.

You know what they say about good quality prayers. When you make one, the Lord gets right on that for you. Within just twelve days into the new year, I had a date scheduled with Tabitha.

We had our first date at Frisch's in Eastgate, not knowing that she was pescatarian, and didn't eat meat. She still stayed with me for most of the night and we talked as if we had known each other for years.

At one point she excused herself to go to the restroom. I had no idea she was secretly texting her best friends to say that no fake emergency calls were necessary, because I was a "good one." I feel so blessed to be that for her.

Over the year we have been together, we've been through good times and bad. The tests we've faced have told us we were meant to be together, and we will be there for each other always.