In October 2014, I ventured back to Berry to attend my 20th reunion. Having not been back at Berry for several years, I had lost touch with so many friends over the years and was nervous about going. But I mustered up the courage to go anyway. I had a nagging feeling that I should go.
As I walked up to Ford, I was greeted with hugs and laughter by two dear friends, Alison & Betsy, and it was as if time had not passed. We laughed and talked. I was glad that I had come. As we sat down to eat, I glanced over and saw Scott walk by. I thought to myself “whatever happened with him anyway? We went out briefly our senior year and then graduated. I wanted to say “hi” and start a conversation, but was, once again, too shy. “What if he didn’t remember me?” I didn’t want to embarrass myself. Throughout the day, I kept seeing him, still not having the courage to talk. The Mountain Day activities were over and Alison & Betsy invited me to dinner in Rome. After remembering that I had a two hour drive home, I declined the invite and hugged them goodbye and walked to my car. But before leaving campus, I decided to stop by the bookstore one last time. As I debated about which sweatshirt to buy, I heard “Hi Sarah” and I looked up at Scott. I guess he did remember me!

I liked her then, I love her now.

I still can’t believe everything that’s happened. It feels like so many of those Hallmark movies that Sarah and I watch at Christmas. Boy meets girl. Boy gets a date (somehow). Boy is too shy to get a second date. Time passes and boy meets girl again and a friendship forms. In time, that friendship turns into love.

One fall afternoon at Berry College a pretty brown-haired girl in a long dress walked by me on campus – as I gazed after her I said to myself, “I’m going to marry that girl someday.”

I now know that I was saying a prayer then because I needed help! By the time our senior year rolled around I somehow had a date with Sarah. I was soooooo shy back then, I’m not even sure how I got that date. I’m pretty sure she asked me out, which I should have taken as a hint, but I didn’t, and a second date never happened. I was an idiot, but I now truly believe that it just wasn’t our time.

Time passes and life happens then before you know it, it’s time for our 20-year reunion. Andrew and several of my friends couldn’t make the reunion but I felt like I should still go. I saw Sarah a couple of times during the day but was struck by my shyness and didn’t know what to say. Finally, I decided to go with a simple, “Hi, Sarah.”