Whether you believe in the hand of God or the hand of fate, the odds of us ever meeting must have been a million to none. 3000 miles lay between us, with Brian living in Alexandria Virginia and me in San Diego California.

Life had thrown us both some pretty tough blows, lay off for him, widowhood for me, and I guess we were both in need of some TLC.

It was late winter of 1991 and we both decided that a cruise would supply just that. So we each headed to the travel agent and booked that dream vacation on Carnival's ship the Holiday sailing to the Western Caribbean; departure date Saturday May 25, 1991. In fact, that was the day we met.

I saw him standing in line a few people behind me waiting to board the ship. He was tall, handsome, and had piercing blue eyes. Mind you I wasn't looking to meet anyone, just enjoy a much needed departure from the reality of life. After arriving at my cabin and settling in, my cruise share roommate, Deb, appeared.

She was a New Yorker from Long Island. After getting to know each other a bit, I told her about this man with the blue eyes in line and she suggested that we attend the singles event that evening.

"Perhaps he will show up and you can point him out to me." she said. So we cleaned up a bit and headed out to the party. Not long after we arrived at the event, so did he. Deb kept urging me to go introduce myself. I explained that was way outside my comfort zone. She continued on until she said "if you don't I will". "O.K. I'm going" and completely out of character, I walked over and introduced myself.

We discovered that we shared many things. Both of us were Information Technology professionals, our parents all lived in San Diego, we loved going to movies, the list went on and on. We spent the entire week together, enjoying daytime activities both on board and off of the ship, night time shipboard entertainment, late night walks on deck, all the while getting to know each other a little better each day.

It was all very romantic, but we both knew that it would soon come to an end. We would return to our homes, our jobs, and the real world. Despite that at the airport before parting we exchanged addresses and promised to write. I admit I was skeptical about all this. ship board romances could never go anywhere, not in real life anyway.

This sort of thing could only happen in a romance novel. Skepticism aside, history was written on board the Holiday that week as we sailed through our very own version of the Love Boat! Neither of us could have guessed that cupid would strike while on vacation, especially me!

Brian wrote the first letter; on the plane trip home in fact! Then he wrote again and again. I didn't write, but alas, guilt set in. Brian was following through with our promise and I was not! So I called him. We talked for over and hour. Then he sent, not one, but two dozen red roses to me when I was in the hospital for surgery (how he found out what hospital I was in I will never know).

My hospital roommate, a wonderfully sweet elderly woman, told me "You better hold on to that one. Any man who sends two dozen roses is a rarity and worth holding on to".

Of course she had to know our story, so I shared our meeting with her and by the end I was beginning to think her advice might be worth taking. Then our Sunday afternoon phone "dates" began. We spent at least 2 hours on the phone with each other.

Next Brian asked to come visit me over Labor Day weekend. He said it was time to learn if this "thing" between us was what he, and he hoped I, was thinking it was. I said yes. He arrived and the weekend was glorious! Bicycling along the Silver Strand beach, calamari and wine for lunch on the veranda of the Hotel Del Coronado overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and a day of sailing with some friends. Our airport goodbye was difficult and we both knew we would see each other again, soon!

Then it was my turn to travel his way. I would spend the week of Thanksgiving with him in Alexandria. On the first day of my visit he took me out to my old neighborhood in Oxen Hill Maryland (I lived there from grade 2 through grade 6). I saw old neighbors, the house I lived in, and showed Brian were we used to race our bikes to the down to the Potomac River. From where we stood on the river's edge, we looked straight across to the apartment complex where he lived! How could I have ever known that as a child I was looking across that river to my future!

That evening Brian took me to the Lincoln Center for the symphony in a chauffeured limousine! I was smitten! During that week, he took me to the Ford's Theater to see a Christmas Carol (seeing some version of this story is still an annual holiday tradition for us), to his favorite hangouts, to the National Cathedral for Thanksgiving Day services, on a tour of old town Alexandria, and more! Brain treated my like a princess. He made me feel so beautiful, so special, so cared for. He was bar none the most romantic man I had ever met! Leaving this time was even more difficult. I knew, however, that I could not afford another plane ticket by myself, so Brian offered to help with the expenses if I would come back between Christmas and New Years.

So, on December 26, 1991 I traveled again to Alexandria. Brian picked me up at the airport and he held on as tight as he could for the longest time. This huge bear hug was all part of the surprise he had planned. Back at his apartment, he brought my bags in and took my coat. He produced a bottle of Piper Heidsieck ; what it now "our" champagne. We snuggled under the Christmas tree enjoying our drinks before opening our gifts. This must have brutal for Brian.

You see he had hidden one very special gift for me on that tree. That gift was a golden box in the shape of a bell. As I opened that bell up I was thinking "this couldn't be a ring, yes it could be, no it couldn't, yes... It wasn't, it was a note, a note directing me to the pocket of my coat. You see Brian had slipped the ring (and box) into my pocket. I never knew! (He never has told me when he slipped the surprise into my pocket). Once found, he took the ring from me, knelt down, lifted my left hand, and as he placed the ring on my finger he asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes!

There were some obstacles to over come, the biggest being 3000 miles, so the following Spring Brian left his job and moved to San Diego. We were married on December 5, 1992 on a beautiful warm winter day in sunny San Diego over looking the harbor.

We will be married 15 years this year, and we must admit that life has not been easy for us. We struggled though financial and employment difficulties in San Diego, finally deciding to move to Denver. Denver brought even more employment problems for both of us. In addition to the financial side of life we have struggled emotionally through infertility and the loss of two pregnancies. At last our dream of having children was realized on February 26, 1998 with the birth of our twin sons, Noel and Gavin. But that too has not been without difficulty. You see Noel is severely disabled, unable to talk, feed himself, or dress himself. He can walk, but only with assistance. The doctors are unable to diagnose the cause of his disability. However, our boys are the light of our lives. Noel with his infectious laugh ought to have "joy" for his middle name . Gavin (who is a typical child) is all boy, but don't be fooled he is wise beyond his years. He is an awesome kid who is not only strong but sensitive. He carries a lot of weight on his shoulders already, and is a great strength for both of us.

As I reflect, I suppose it's been life's difficulties that have bound us together. We have become not just a couple but a team. We have learned to be strong individually and together. Our family's strength relies on us being just that, a family. Like any couple we have our ups and downs, but we have learned that life is much easier together than it would be apart. Brian is still my best date, best traveling companion, and greatest support. I thank God for bringing us together and for giving us the strength to stay together despite what life has thrown at us. Love is truly the tie that binds. Our marriage and our family is living proof! I don't know where this love story will end, but I do know that there are many chapters still to be written.

Submitted by Diana Packard - February 13, 2007