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Hometown

Portland, OR

Joie de VIVre

Teaching grades 1-12, traveling to sunny places, hiking, biking, skiing, inline skating, and talking to old friends

VIV Moment

Ten years ago, I chose to attend my 30th high-school reunion. I was then close to 50, single, and fairly content with my life. The kids were grown, the cats were sleeping through much of the day, and my plants were thriving. I felt lucky in many ways … but something was still missing.

When I first caught sight of him in the ballroom of that fancy downtown Chicago hotel, I smiled and felt as if 30 years had just been erased. At that moment, we were both back in the halls of our high school where we passed each other daily. Back then, he thought I was pretty cute in my matching sweater set, and I thought his handsome, chiseled, dark features matched his outstanding athletic frame. There was even a twinkle in his eyes when we glanced at each other across the stream of students on their way to classes.

After sharing stories that evening in Chicago, we exchanged addresses. A photo taken of us that night captured the moment perfectly. There we were, barely touching, but looking at each other as if we knew that we would see each other again. The twinkle was still there. I knew it was meant to be.

Months later after a few visits, I moved with my cats and plants from Chicago to his home in Oregon. Several months later, I accepted his wedding proposal. We were married shortly thereafter in St. Thomas at a classmate’s home on Megan’s Bay. We have been married seven years. What I learned that evening is that sometimes, when you least expect it, love can show up, and your heart will know when that special moment occurs.

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