A Covid Romance...as told by Kristen
Flashback to September 2020. Restaurants CLOSED… hospitals PACKED… masks ON… all major events CANCELED… future UNKNOWN… Patrick and I matched on a Christian dating app called Upward. Our conversation started off normally with questions and getting to know each other more but instantly I felt a connection. Talking to Patrick was natural and we talked a great deal about our faith, our families' Christian values, and goals for our careers and in life. Fast forward seven months, and we finally got to meet in person. Yes, you read that right. Seven months of texting, facetime, Snapchat, and one, two, and sometimes three hours of nighttime phone calls. We both wanted so badly to meet before those 7 months went by but with COVID being on the rise and the unknown that came with the virus was a bit nerve-racking. We both agreed that even with the future unknown, we did not want that to determine our future. So after lots of prayers and waiting for the right time, Patrick presented the idea of being his date to a friend’s wedding in Slidell, LA and I quickly responded with “Yes!” which shocked him. He was so excited that he booked my hotel room and sent me the confirmation just 5 minutes after we hung up that night. We spent the first time meeting with beignets for breakfast, walking around the Mandeville waterfront, a lot of talking and saying things like “finally” and “I can’t believe this”, we ended that day with dinner & dancing. Sunday brought us a very hard and tear-filled goodbye. Leaving that weekend, we knew there would be many obstacles to a long-distance relationship but we also knew in our hearts that we were truly each other’s person. So with every bump and challenge, we prayed for the Lord’s guidance and I am here to say the Lord provided for us each time. Over the last two years, we have grown together, trusted and leaned on God’s plan for our future, and shared a lot of laughs as well as goodbye
tears after each visit. We went on a very quick weekend trip to Fairhope, AL once before early on in our relationship. We absolutely fell in love with the town and couldn’t wait to go back so Memorial Day weekend in 2021, we met back up in the sweet little town where we spent more time exploring, soaking up all the sunshine, trying new restaurants, and relaxing. On that Sunday, we decided to visit the Grand Hotel for dinner and stay to watch the sunset. It was absolutely breathtaking. We sat there until dark where we took in every moment and that is when Patrick first told me that he loved me. A year and a half later he took me back to that same spot and asked me to marry him. By far, the easiest Yes! The charming town of Fairhope will forever hold a special place in our hearts.
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