I had finally looked myself in the mirror and said “I love you”. I decided that I had to let go of all my old baggage and accept it was okay to be single. 2 months after this declaration, I met my Randy at a casino in a different state from where we both lived. I sat 2 seats away from him. He immediately, said “How you doing?” Sorta like Joey from Friends tv show. We hung out all evening and when we left separately, he asked me out to dinner the next day. I said, maybe, call me. We did go out!

The first time he said “I love you” we’d only been dating 9 weeks & I totally wasn’t expecting to hear those words. We were laying on the couch together watching a movie. Halfway through the move, he leaned over, grabbed my face, stared into my eyes and said it. I was caught off guard! I responded “You have 2 different socks on” Haha (which he did) He said that wasn’t the response he wanted. After getting my bearings, I told him, I too was falling in love with him. He’s never let me forget that.

A few things… we’ve been together almost 23 years, and have never gotten married. I’d love to have a small ceremony with our families and close friends. Then whatever is left over I’d like to make donations in honor of my deceased parents to the Catholic Diocese, my 2nd older deceased sister to the Allegheny National Forest, my Randy’s deceased father to the Case Western, my deceased niece to an Animal Shelter and my deceased nephew to the Wounded Warriors. I want to keep their memories alive.