on an unseasonably warm february day 24 years ago, my step-father picked up my mother as she sat on a rock in la jolla cove. she wasn’t looking for love that afternoon, but his persistence and warm demeanor prompted her to throw caution to the wind and, when asked for her phone number and an invitation to dinner, she did what any single gal would do –she gave him a bank deposit slip. it was the only item she could think of to provide him with as the afternoon trip to the beach hadn’t prepared her for exchanging digits with a potential suitor.

lucky for us, he wasn’t an axe murderer or had dreams of cleaning out our bank accounts; all he used that bank slip for was a phone call to a single mom for a dinner at jake’s del mar and the hope of something more.

and that dinner turned into another,

and 500 after that. 

and eventually, the man from the beach and the lady on the rock became husband and wife.

and we became a family.

and for the past 24 years, i have had the pure pleasure of watching my parents fall further and further in love with each other. the most amazing thing is -even after nearly a quarter of a century, they are still just as smitten with each other, if not more smitten than they were that february day.

it’s the simple things that make me appreciate their love the most –their notes written to each other with lipstick on the bathroom mirror, their dedication to weekly date night, the way he’ll whisper to me as she walks into the room ready for a night out, “isn’t she beautiful?” for those things (and so many more), i have adored being a witness to their love. because if that’s what marriage looks like after over 20 years of courtship, well, gosh –sign me up.

so happy “meeting” anniversary, mom & toppie. thank you for fostering my faith in love and for being a model for what it is i strive for in my own life, for loving each other through every milestone and for never allowing the passage of time to dim your romance’s flame. you are an inspiration and i love you both with my whole heart.

xo

dancing at my cousin’s wedding.