In December of 2010, I got a frantic phone call from my
little sister who promised she had found the “perfect” guy for me. Her
reasoning as to why we would make such a good match “He put up with me in our
awful small group all semester and didn’t kill me.” Celeste was a senior at UGA
at the time and I had disturbing visions of a 22 year old athlete whose claim
to fame was being the beer pong champion of his fraternity, but she was quick
to assure me that the guy she found for me was “old…like he’s almost 30!” She
also said “he’s not my type, but you’ll think he’s cute.” She wasn’t exactly
selling me on this guy, but for those who know Celeste and her sometimes
dominating, always opinionated and often entertaining personality – this is high
praise for a classmate. I originally told her no for several reasons – the most
obvious of which being the fact that Celeste and I have very little in common
other than anatomy and parents. Never one to be deterred, Celeste got my mom in
on the fun and she quickly got in touch with me to provide her straightforward
reasoning as to why it was a good idea to go on a blind date (the very idea of
which caused me anxiety): “Lissa, you’re broke and, at the very least, it’s a
free meal. He’s friends with Celeste so he’ll be nice and you could end up with
a new friend even if the two of you don’t hit it off romantically.” Ever the
optimist my mother…but she was right. At least about being broke – I was working an average of 60
hours a week as an investigator with Child Protective Services at DFCS, an often thankless job that left me
overwhelmed emotionally and with little time or interest in dating. Eventually,
Celeste wore me down and I agreed for her to give him my number (little did I
know she had already given it to him – way to have your sister’s back, C).
The mystery man and I began talking through text message and,
by the time we made official plans to meet, I knew it would be an entertaining
night with a funny guy if nothing else. So on December 22, 2010 I went on my
first and only blind date. Little did I know when I first saw Jason that he
would end up quickly becoming my best friend and the love of my life. Fast
forward five years and my life is better than even I imagined it could be when
watching romantic comedies with a bottle of Pinot Grigio. In the years since
our first date, we have lived in 3 states, had a combined 6 jobs, adopted and
raised a naughty puppy (who by some miracle is still alive), and celebrated the
many ups and downs that come with building a life together. We’ve laughed more
than I would have thought, I’ve cried more than Jas is comfortable with, we’ve
struggled financially, we’ve succeeded professionally, we’ve mourned the loss
of loved ones, celebrated the birth of new family members and enjoyed the ride together.
There is no one else I’d rather do life with and today, as I look back on the
past five years, I feel forever grateful to call Jason my husband.
This year celebrating the day we met is even more exciting
as it also marks my 34th week of pregnancy with our little lady.
Little Peanut is no longer so little, as she is approximately 18 inches long
and probably nearing 5 pounds. She is continuing to be very active and I am
still enjoying pregnancy, though I’m well aware that I’m quickly losing what
little grace I had up to this point (Jas likens me to a “truck driver” at least
once a week – what a charmer). We are six weeks from our due date, and as we
begin the countdown to D-day, I am also trying to enjoy the last few weeks of
quality time as a dynamic duo before officially becoming a family of three. Like
most first time mothers, I am a bit anxious and overwhelmed, but I feel better
knowing I have Jason by my side and I know that we are ready for this next
chapter of our lives together. Cheers to 5 years and here’s to many more!
