Today I celebrate the first time I (remember) meeting my husband Dave.  I love sharing the story of how we met because I (mostly) don’t believe in coincidences.  I believe in things happening for a reason and a purpose, and our meeting was definitely one of those moments.

January 12, 2010 Haiti was devastated by an earthquake.  Some folks in Lancaster wanted to help however they could, so some amazing creative people put together a “Lancaster for Haiti – Hearts in Harmony”  fundraiser concert in downtown Lancaster on April 2.  I had attended a meeting a few weeks before the event and sat with two Daves in the upstairs of Annie Baileys…my friend Dave Moulton and my future husband Dave Sieglitz.  One Dave (hubs) thought I was dating the other Dave.

I didn’t really remember this encounter for various reasons but I do remember that day being particularly awful because my cat Darrell had eaten a plastic bag and had to be taken to the veterinarian – a very expensive endeavor for someone on a limited budget.

Fast forward to April 2nd.  I went downtown early to help get the convention center space set up for the concert – and there in the volunteer room was Ken Mueller, a local friend and fellow twitter addict at the time, and my future husband.  Ken was telling me about this amazing sauce that Dave’s mother had donated, along with meatballs, to feed the volunteers.  I remember thanking Dave and not thinking much of it.  It turns out Ken was the reason that Dave got into volunteering at that event in the first place.

I helped out at the ticket booth that night while Dave was backstage helping with the bands.  At the end of the night, Slackwater News was wrapping up the event and I snuck inside to hear the last few songs since I had graduated high school with some of the band members.  I saw Dave across the room and waved him over.  We talked for a bit and when the concert ended Dave helped me with the tear down since he had helped with the stage set up earlier that day.  He was so nice, patient and showed me how to tear down rather than just telling me what to do like the crew guys were doing with the other volunteers.

One of our first dates in May 2010

Around 3 or 4 in the morning we had finally completed the tear down and I gave Dave my business card with my phone number.  I figured I had nothing to lose with a nice guy like him.  And I didn’t.  We facebook stalked each other a few hours later and made plans to meet for sushi the next evening in spite of him realizing I was a widow, and me realizing he had a daughter that seemed closer in age to myself than I was to him.  April 3rd was our first official date and we’ve been together ever since.  April 5th marks our second year married.

I married an amazing man on April 5, 2013

So many things had to happen for us to meet – a terrible earthquake. Dave attending a Dale Carnegie Course which encouraged him to get involved in his community.  My cousin Christine introducing me to Twitter and Ken Mueller and other downtown folks.  Dave connecting with Ken to get involved with the fundraiser.  Just a few weeks prior to this fundraiser both Dave & I had attended, separately, the Ingrid Michaelson concert at the Chameleon Club but never got introduced, and even though we met in person at a meeting prior to the event it wasn’t until we both showed up that day of the fundraiser that we made the connection.  It’s so cool to trace it back to where it all began.

These past 5 years have been a time of serious growth for myself.  I went through a lot of tug and pull emotionally to allow my heart to love again, knowing all the risks, and going for it to gain all of the rewards.  With Dave I’ve gained a best friend and confidante, a passionate and caring husband, an amazing step daughter, son in law and in-laws, and a really adventurous and exciting life.  We complement each other in ways that constantly amaze me.  I’m excited to get off to our weekend camping trip in less than 24 hours and to enjoy one another’s company, as we always do.

Life today – at our favorite sushi restaurant last week