Moments to remember

Bill and I met and married in less than a year. I would NEVER recommend that to anyone, especially my own kids, but for us, it worked. We recognized something in each other very quickly in our relationship. What is was, I'm still not sure (HA!) but it was something we couldn't ignore. We met on Dec 20th, were engaged by the end of February and married in November. Pretty swift, eh? Why my parents didn't give me a harder time, I have no idea. I guess they recognized something, too. Come to think of it, they really never interfered with my decisions. I was given a lot of latitude growing up.

Our wedding was officiated by a minister from my childhood in Oakville. Lt. Colonel Jock Anderson was a war hero, a man of God and one of the most lovely men you could meet. He, like my grandfather Nicoll, was Scottish and a Presbyterian minister. He piped us into our reception. He was 73 at the time.  Bill LOVED this part of the reception. He cannot listen to the bagpipes without getting emotional. I understand that to be true of the Scots, but of an Italian/American?  Bill's only job in organizing the wedding was to book the music. The bag pipes didn't count. Colonel Anderson just threw that part in as his contribution.

We left the wedding reception while the party was still going. We took a shuttle to the Toronto airport and boarded a plane to the Caymen Islands. We arrived less than 24 hours after our marriage vows.

I distinctly remember waking up the next morning, turning my head on the pillow to look at Bill soundly sleeping. I panicked. Who is this guy? What did I just do? Where am I? What just happened? I don't know this guy. Am I INSANE?

As soon as Bill woke up and started talking, rapid fire, I quickly forgot my earlier terror. Oh, right... him! I know him! I calmed down.

There are moments in your life that stand apart, on their own. Moments that help define things for you. Certainly, I remember that moment of panic. But, the first defining moment in our married life came shortly after the pillow panic and when we rented a motor scooter. We thought a motor scooter was a great way to get around the island. Being the man, Bill booked it and hopped on the front, gave me my helmet and helped me straddle the back. He backed out of the parking spot directly into a parked car. BOOM! He was simultaneously angry and embarrassed.

"Maybe you should drive this while we're here" he said.

That was the moment that I knew:
This! This is a man I can love.

And it's been like that ever since.