Matthew and Jia

Married 5 years

HAPPY 5th ANNIVERSARY!

It was December 1998, and my best friend Molly had spent the previous week telling me, in great detail, about her new crush. “He’s charming, brilliant, gorgeous and funny!”

She dragged me into the high school cafeteria one day to a table surrounded by boys. “You have to meet Matt,” she insisted. I knew one of the boys in the group. He lived just across the street from me. He was cute in a mousey-kind of way. This had to be Matt. He was just her type. I then turned my attention to his dark haired friend. He had the most beautiful hazel brown eyes I’d ever seen. I couldn’t breathe!

I suddenly didn’t care who this Matt person was, but I was going to put every ounce of effort into marrying his dark haired friend! That’s when Molly put her hands on my future husband and said, “Jia, this is Matt.”

Everyone was captivated by him. He was charming, brilliant, gorgeous and funny. But best friend rules stated that I couldn’t go near him. So I didn’t … for six months.

In May, Matt and Molly were finally a couple. By this time, I too had a boyfriend. The same mousey friend of Matt’s that lived across the street, Josh.

“She broke up with me,” Matt told me the day of my birthday party. “What?! Why would she do something that stupid!?” I snapped. Molly pined for this guy for months, and now she just decides that he’s not good enough? Was she crazy?

I convinced Matt to come to the party, and he did, spending most of the night at my side. After the rest of my guests left, Matt’s ride arrived and I walked him to the door. He leaned in close to me, “If Josh wasn’t in the picture, I’d move on you so quick.” He said.

I couldn’t breathe. It had turned out that for the last six months, Matt had been secretly in love with me.

Five minutes later there was a knock at the door, and an embarrassed looking Matt stood there, “I think I left my contact case here.” His great exit line had been blown! He begged his mother not to take him back. “You don’t understand, I CAN’T go back there.” But she insisted.

I was eating it up. I handed him his contact case and leaned in close, “If Josh wasn’t in the picture, I might just let you.” I whispered.

I ended my relationship with Josh, and he’s actually one of our best friends today.

How We Keep Our Marriage Strong

It’s now been ten years since we met, and Matt and I have had our ups and downs. If anything has kept our marriage strong, aside from God, it’s being open with one another. We tell each other everything. After all, we were silent for six months too long to begin with.

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This is one of the “How We Met” stories featured here on “Laura’s Strengthening Marriage Blog.” You can enter to win a Romantic Getaway to The Anniversary Inn by sending us a favorite photo of you and your spouse, and/or a wedding or engagement photo, by Saturday, February 14th, 2009. Tell us the story of how you met, how many years you’ve been married, plus something you do to strengthen your marriage (500 words or less). Send your photo and story here.

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