mollyL

I was a senior in high school. My husband-to-be had graduated the year before and was staying at his brother's place with a bunch of their friends. His brother was into the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronisms) and they were starting up a Barony. A guy in our group met them when they were having a tourney and they invited him around.
This guy (let's call him Francis) in our group was really taken with the SCAers and wanted everyone to go over and meet them. Francis was a basically good-hearted but very strange guy and I doubted that anyone that had met him and invited all his friends around could be anything but strange and I didn't really feel like meeting them.
After a series of machinations on my friend's behalf, I found myself at the door to the Barony and there was nothing to do but go in.
I met all the people in the house and then we went out back into the guest house where some more people were partying.
When I walked through the door I looked down to see the top of a head and a pea coat of a person sitting on a mattress. He rose to meet me and I was confronted with the most beautiful set of blue eyes and a kind and intelligent face to go with it. I was meeting my husband for the first time, and in a kind of time-slows-down way and you realize that something very important is happening, I knew I was meeting my husband. I went home that night and told my mother the same thing.
That was January of 1971 and we were married that July (I'll skip all the family drama; we were right and they were wrong.) In June of 1972 our son was born, and in April 1974 we had our daughter to complete our family.
On New Year's Eve last night I remember, as I remember each year, that when I saw 1971 in with friends at a roller rink in Oregon, I pondered what this New Year might bring; it seemed portentous, as everything seems portentous to a seventeen year old, and I couldn't imagine where 1972 would find me.
Thirty-seven years ago, nearly to the day, I look back at that first meeting with my husband and I know that was the luckiest night of my life. There is still alot of the boy and girl of that night in us, even though we welcome our fifth grandchild this March. We also, every year, send thanks out to Francis, wherever he may be, for being the Instrument of our meeting. So, Francis, and you would know who you are from this story; my deepest gratitude goes out to you! Happy New Year!