Going to the Chapel

Good morning and happy Friday to you! I hope you’ve had a great week and are looking forward to a lovely weekend. I happen to have completely awesome plans to look forward to and I can’t wait! I’m working a double today and then I’ve planned an evening of packing and movies with The Huz. Packing for what, you might ask? A WEDDING!!

Let me tell you a little story. In 2003, two young women moved to Boston from far away. One from Pittsburgh (me), the other from North Dakota (Abby). These two brilliant women met at an orientation luncheon for graduate school and Pittsburgh girl planned a small cocktail party in her new apartment that weekend. On the day of the party, Abby hemmed and hawed about going to a stranger’s apartment, spending an evening with strangers, and then having to walk home to her strange, new apartment. Thankfully, her heterolifemate convinced her to venture to Belmont and partake in the party festivities.

What followed was a friendship filled with waiting tables, graduate thesis projects, needlepoint and snowy St. Patrick’s Days full of melon coladas. We’ve bonded over great literature and trashy romance novels. We’ve graduated, gotten jobs and pursued our dreams. And our dreams have evolved and we’ve grown up. I’ve fallen in love with running thanks to Abby. We trained for our first half marathon together through blistering sun, freezing rain and many challenging miles. And we’ve cheered each other through two marathons.

In November 2007, Abby began mentioning a certain name. Jared. Originally, I knew very little about this mystery man. I knew he played basketball. I knew he loved writing. I knew he adored talking to my friend. I also knew he was in a relationship. Was the romance not meant to be? Abby and I found ourselves, yet again, catching up over miles around the river. She couldn’t stop talking about him! I finally told her to listen to her heart. If this Jared person was the right man, everything would work out with a little faith. Sure enough, they began dating in February and I got to see him cheer her through her first Boston Marathon.

I think it was that afternoon that really made me realize how much he loved my friend. Bright and early, he picked me up, latte in hand, and we took Abby’s parents to the race. Jared couldn’t stop talking about Abby and how proud he was of her training and the fundraising she’d done for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. And when I found her after the finish, he was right there, making sure Abby was okay. Did she need shoes? Water? Food? A kiss? (Yes to all of the above).

Since that day, Jared has been at Abby’s side, and she at his. They’ve made a home together, raised a gorgeous great dane, and found their other halves in each other’s eyes. They’ve traveled together, run together and even started a company together.

And on Saturday, at a beautiful inn in Woodstock, Vermont, they will announce their intentions before friends and family to live a life full of love, honesty and commitment to one another.

I’m so happy to see such joy and devotion between two people and I wish Abby and Jared all the best!!

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