Happy Thanksgiving!
I hope everyone enjoyed turkey, pie and family. We all have so much to be thankful for every year. Erin and I are thankful for our family, health, Bella's remission and each other. Now is a time when we look back on 2008 realizing the struggles, challenges and lessons. We measure how we've grown and where we hope to go. 2009 will be a year of big changes, but also much excitement. Of course our lives will change forever on August 8, 2009 :-) We thank God for his patience with us in our walk with Him. Many days we get bogged down by the weight of the world. We forget to pray and seek Christ. But, Jesus is always with us whether we realize his presence or not. He will never leave us nor forsake us. In light of Thanksgiving and reflecting on our last Holiday Season as singles, I thought I would share the story of Erin and Joe's Beginning. Some of you may already know, but it's always nice to remember ...
Our journey began on January 13, 2007. Believe it or not, Erin and I met on eharmony. I logged in to find that I had a new match, and she wished to communicate. I loved her profile, but I was weary about not seeing a picture. I had bad experiences on eharmony before with girls that waited to show their pictures. I had closed many matches that didn't have pictures, but I thought this one was worth "waiting to see." Within the first day we went through all the stages of communication. I tried not to get my hopes up since I hadn't seen a picture. But, it was hard because she liked my favorite artist, Jeremy camp (and that was a big deal to me as everyone in my family knows he's my man crush lol). Then, all of a sudden, when we were finally able to start emailing each other, a picture popped up ... Let me just say "Wow!" My heart jumped inside of my chest, "She's really cute!" To this day I still have that very picture in my cubicle at work. Erin and I started emailing back and forth about twice a day. We weren't wasting anytime. It was only a week and a half on eharmony before we switched to the phone. I remember that I was supposed to call her, but she couldn't stand it. She called me first :-) Many times we forget that we met online, because it was such a brief period of time.
It was during our first emails that I started feeling some weird symptoms. I felt a little bit lightheaded at times, and it wouldn't go away. By the time we started talking on the phone the symptoms escalated to chronic lightheadedness, nausea and fatigue. I started getting scared out of my mind. I had no idea what was going on. Yet, I was committed to talking to this young woman. She was worth battling whatever I was going through. I finally got some meds to help the lightheadedness. They helped my symptoms tremendously. I was able to go skiing in Colorado with my family. We had a lot of fun, and I was no longer able to hide my love interest from my family. My brother John kept asking me who I was talking to ... he wasn't dumb ... he knew what was going on ;-) To escape my family so that I could talk, I sat on top of the toilet lid. I took a lot of teasing for that one. But, hey, I was in love! Erin was so tickled that I called her from the airport on the way home to setup our first date. We met the following weekend at Starbucks in the suburbs. We spotted each other right away and smiled. Erin already had something to drink so I excused myself to get a mocha. During that time she was checking me out. I didn't know that at the time ... she said something about a cute ummmm .... behind ;-) We ended up sitting their for a few hours just talking. When I left, I already wanted to kiss her, but she said "Hugs!" and I gratefully accepted. I called mom on my way home to say that I was on cloud nine. Erin's face was pretty rosy when her whole family asked her how the date went .. they knew. It was an incredible date minus the fact that my symptoms returned. I nearly had to leave because I felt so nauseous. I went to the bathroom and prayed that Jesus would give me the strength to overcome ... and he gave it to me :-). Erin and I had one more date before things got really bad for me. I knew something was really wrong, and I was scared with what was going on in my body. I freaked out and had to take a weak off of work. Thankfully my parents were with me through it all. I remember my mom telling me to call Erin when I felt to sick and scared to do anything. Thank you, Mom! You didn't let me blow it. I called Erin and let her know I really liked her, and I hadn't called because I was really not feeling well. I remember how sympathetic she was on the phone. I could tell she genuinely cared for me, and it made my eyes feel with tears.
After my blood test and MRI, everything appeared to be fine, but they wanted to do an MRA on my blood vessels on my brain because they thought one looked a little thin. I was feeling better and less scared. Erin and I had a date downtown with her friends Katie and Todd. We had a blast! At dinner, I reached for her hand for the first time. Back at Katie's apartment, she grabbed my hand and put her head on my shoulder. She did this again on the train on the way back home. I was in heaven! When we got in her car, she stopped in front of my door. I looked at her and she knew what we both wanted ... a kiss! I asked for permission like a gentlemen. It was not our best kiss, but it was our fist. Erin tells me that I puckered too much. Thanks Honey! I guess I'm like my dad on his first kiss with my mother. My mom describes their first kiss as "metallic at best."
I know I don't have time to share all our beginning stories, but I want to share with you something about Erin that continues to amaze me. After our first kiss we started seeing each other every weekend. I continued to struggle with my health and had to keep seeing more doctors. Finally, I was referred to UIC Medical Center. My doctor there wanted to perform an angiogram because something wasn't right with one of the left arteries in my head. I battled my fear the best I could. After a NOVA MRI and angiogram we knew the problem. One area of my internal carotid artery was completely blocked on the left side of my head. I needed a cerebral bypass. As much as I was happy to know what was finally wrong with me, the fear only got worse. I was not prepared for this ... no one was ... not my parents, Erin or me. Yet, Erin never was phased by my situation. She stood right beside me in everything. I can't tell you how many conversations I had when all I talked about was my fear and physical symptoms. I felt so crippled. Erin's love for me was enough to be patient and provide the necessary support that I needed. She listened when no one else could take it anymore. Plus, I lived alone in Chicago. I was over 220 miles away from home. Erin was my everything! My mom has always said, "If Erin hadn't been there, I would have had to temporarily move to Chicago."
Surgery came on May 22, 2007. I couldn't wait to get it over with. As much as some others were scared for me, Erin, my parents and I knew who was in control. Jesus is Lord over every aspect of my life. I knew I would be OK. And, I had the world's best surgeon for my bypass. Anyways, I was not prepared for recovery afterwards. I couldn't do anything. But, I remember the first night when Erin came down to the hospital. She was wearing a striped pink sweater with her pink White Sox hat on. She's a Cubs fan, and she wore that Sox hat just for me!!! I couldn't do much of anything, but I grabbed her hand and said, "I love you." I tried to put her hand over my heart, but I didn't realize I had a bunch of wires from the various montiors over my chest. I just slept the first two days. But, her presence meant the world to me. I could hear her voice as she talked with my parents. I could hear them laughing. Erin drove my parents back to their hotel just about every night. This young woman wasn't just there for me, but for my parents. She brought love and hope to them as they watched their son struggle with his recovery. My heart is full of love for her when I think about that time. She was Jesus to me, but also to my parents. I remember telling my dad one of my days in the ICU ... "Dad, I'm going to marry that girl." I think that line will always stick with my dad and I. I knew he believed me. When I was finally released from the hospital, I went back home, in Michigan, to find Erin there waiting for me.
Can you see how amazing Erin is? Do I really have to say anymore? No, Erin's actions spoke her love. I do not know another woman that would have stood next to me during that time - especially since it started at the very start of our relationship. Erin is humble when I bring these stories up stating that it wasn't her, but Christ within her. I was too special to give up on. For these reasons and so much more, I knew I had found the one I had been praying for since I was three years old. I never thought it would have happened the way it did. Sometimes I feel like we got robbed of time that should have been spent just having fun and being young. Erin and I had to learn to grow up so fast together. But we know that Christ restores all lost time. We look forward to our future together. Erin and I do not love each other because we need each other. We need each other because we love each other. Even in times when things get tough in life, and things are not always fun, we have no fear. Erin's the one and only. She's mine and I will always be there to protect, love and serve. Thank you Jesus for each other. You brought us together, and she was well worth the heartbreaks and pain I experienced in my younger years. Jesus is always the same ... yesterday, today and tomorrow. I hope you enjoyed part of our story together. We look forward to writing a new chapter on August 8, 2009!
