How We Met Part Eight-declarative statements

Oh, goodness, we are so close to the resolution. Obviously, we are now married and have three children, but still the question remains: just HOW did we get together?

I'm not going to begin with the impression that this is the last post. I just don't have time tonight, but we are getting very, very close--as in one more post after this!

I stopped Part Seven around August of 2001. I had become increasingly convicted about my own obsessions with Tuan and had basically thrown it out to the Lord and was waiting to see what He would do.

I was trying to focus on school and RUF and work. Tuan and I were still e-mailing and talking, but I was definitely in a different kind of place. There was more of a trusting in the Lord happening within me and less of a constant wondering and wondering and thinking going on. I was at a place where he really and truly could have begun to date someone else and I would have been okay.

It is funny how things work out. When I let go and truly gave it all over to God, things began to happen. I also cut my hair off.

It was short.

I had gone on a silly lark that spring and had my long, thick hair permed into a body wave because my roommate had the coolest, thickest curliest hair imaginable and I wanted to experience life as a curly girl. It took hours to roll my hair into hundreds of rods and set it. Not to mention the expense! The ridiculous splurge on a 6.00/hr salary of 75.00 to put in a body wave!

Curly girls do have more fun.

When the humidity is all right and ideal.

I had a LOT of fun with a head full of curly hair. But as time went on it grew out and I hit the awkward stage where the top was straight and the bottom curly. My roommate and I tried to straighten it, but it only resulted in straight top and wavy-bottomed hair. If I took the time to roll it or blow dry with a round brush it was lovely.

But I never took the time.

When camp came, I trimmed it, but still had this awkward straight/wavy mess. On the first day of the week and the last, I hot rolled my hair for the sake of camper parents and the rest of the week, the humidity took its toll and looked AWFUL!

The week the summer staff stayed with us, one of the girls I had worked with, Hilary, had gotten this cute post-camp cut which inspired me to go shorter.

My cut wasn't so cute.

When I got back to Hattiesburg, I found a girl--Tameka-- who knew what she was doing and she fixed my hair, but by then it was super, duper short.

I need to find a picture.

Oh dear, I did digress! The whole point of this was that all my college years I had very long hair. As in down my back long and it got lots of compliments. Boys would say, "oh, don't cut your hair!" and then they would start dating girls with short hair.

I was amused and discouraged by the hair hypocrisy surrounding me.

That is why I was even further amused that when my hair reached phenomenally short lengths things started happening to me in the romantic realms.

Not to imply a Sampson connection.

So, the hair was very short and I was at a place of walking with God and trusting in him.

Tuan was e-mailing and every now and then would say something very sweet, but I was much cooler and relaxed about it.

One week in late September, we made weekend plans. Tuan was coming home and invited me to come out and visit that Saturday evening. Somehow we decided a bonfire was in order for the evening and I made plans to come out after I worked the ropes course at Twin Lakes.

When I got to Tuan's house, he was not there, having run to town with his Dad for groceries. Sonny, Mrs. Dorothy and I decided to play a little prank and hid my car behind the house. When he got back they told him I'd called and couldn't come out because I was too tired, blah, blah, blah. I feel bad for doing that now as Tuan had spent the whole day chopping wood for the bonfire, but it was fun in the moment. Long story short, I surprised him and we had a lovely bonfire with his family, who all eventually drifted off to bed, leaving us out there under the stars. We talked a while and then it was time for me to leave.

Tuan walked me to my car and gave me the usual side-arm friend hug.

But this time it lasted a little bit longer than usual.

I sighed and effortlessly, out of my mouth came the words,

"I love you, Tuan . . . "

Oh stink! What had I done?!?!

I got out of there as fast as I could.