Tomorrow I will celebrate my seventh wedding anniversary. When Alan and I started dating I had given up on finding love or even finding a decent date. I had a great group of girl friends (my brother referred to them as my cadre of angry female friends) which provided a rich social life, a good job, a wonderful son and a good life. I wasn’t especially lonely so I decided that I would march forward as a single woman and be content. Then along came Alan.

I had known him for a number of years as a married but long separated man who had a great sense of humor, a sexy laugh, a good job and we had some mutual friends. But…there was that pesky wife that he didn’t seem inclined to be rid of so…I never thought it was going to happen between us. Then finally after years of bad dates and a year of solitude word came down that Alan was getting divorced. I waited for the phone call that never came and after a month of silence realized I had to make my move. On our first date I knew he was the one. All my life I had heard that fairy tale crap about meeting the right man and having that gut feeling that he or she was the right one for you and finally after so many heart breaks and so many bad men it happened to me. The best part about Alan was the comfort of being completely and totally honest for the very first time in my life with someone. I could tell him anything and he still loved me. I could show him my whole heart and soul and he accepted it without question. I felt free and safe.

There are so many things that I love about Alan but the immediate qualities he brought to the table as a boyfriend were the ability to say the right things at the right time. He also buys great presents and he’s wonderful to travel with. When we first started dating he had already planned a vacation with a group of friends including a woman he was dating. I of course had no objection to his trip and waited anxiously for his return. He called me at work when he got back into town and when I asked him how his trip was, he said, “I took the wrong girl.” I glowed all day. He’s also the first man that ever called me baby…I love that. I would marry him again just to travel with him. He always plans wonderful trips, he’s filled with adventure, reads maps, loves the subway; we love to walk, eat where the natives do and we never get sick of being with each other. We got engaged on the beach in Costa Rica and it still stands out as one of the most romantic nights of my life. I’ve never enjoyed being with anyone more in my life, except my son. He’s the funniest, wisest, most patient, understanding, kind, nurturing, sexy, cool, and just plain wonderful man I’ve ever known. He’s also a fantastic step-father. At the age of 40 he took on a woman with an 8 year old kid. For a man who had never had a child, he took to fatherhood like a duck to water. Ben was not as accepting of him but Alan hung in there for a solid year of torture until Ben finally came around and for that I will always love and admire him. I knew that he must really really love me to hang in there through those tough times with my kid. There’s a special place in heaven for step-parents. My husband is a wonderful parent and honey, I couldn’t have gotten through Jr. High math without you!

He’s my third and final husband and I bless the day I found him. Thank you Mary Connor Kern for introducing me to him I love you for that!