How Handsome Hero and I met

On December 10, 2001, I met the man I was to marry.  Let me tell you about it - it's my favorite story!

I was teaching in Delaware at a Christian school.  I moved away from home right out of college to teach at this school, and though I was homesick, my "love tank" was nearly always full from the students, teachers, parents, and administration.  I had a very happy life working with middle and high school kids.

For those of you not in "the know," when you work in a Christian school, your actual job is often a bit more encompassing than you may have realized.  Though I was hired to teach 6-12 graders, I was involved with all the grades, either directing choirs, teaching music classes, or accompanying.  We had three Christmas concerts at the school, divided by age group.  For the elementary Christmas concert, December 10, 2011, I was directing the fourth and fifth grade choirs and accompanying the first through third grade choirs.  One of the songs I directed with the fourth grade was You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.  Now, you can't sing this song with a smile on your face, can you?  No!  You have to look mean and nasty!  And if I expected the kids to look mean and nasty, I had to do it, too. 

So there I was, with this horrible grimace on my face, directing a bunch of nine-year-olds.  I had no idea there was this good looking single guy sitting right where he could see me.  Who goes to a concert of kids this age unless he is a parent or related to one of the kids in some way?

After the concert, I was a bit disconcerted to have a parent of one of my kids introduce me to this guy.  He worked with the dad, and had become an extension of their family, so naturally he came to support the kids at their Christmas concert.  He will roll his eyes and be embarrassed that I say this, but I was so struck by his good looks that I totally didn't hear his name {That's where the handsome part came in Handsome Hero}. 

You should know that I had never been "boy crazy."  I was comfortable with having lots of friends, both male and female, and wasn't searching for Mr. Right.  This guy invaded that comfort zone.  I left the concert and called my parents to tell them how it went.  I started off with, "Mom, I just met the most BEAUTIFUL MAN!"  "What's his name?" my mom wanted to know.  I had no idea.  Good job, Beth.

Installment two will come next week.