A decade later

New Years 2000-01 about three weeks after that first kiss.  I'm pretty sure I was already in love here.

Ten years ago on December 11, 2000, Kyle and I became an official couple.  We had been friends for over a year, but I barely knew the guy.  No one could say they REALLY knew Kyle.  He had stayed hidden in the shadows of the lockers, an observer and participant.  He was an actor like the rest of us, chatted with us but remained aloof in a way that wasn't obvious.  He had dual citzenship into both worlds.

Although we had known each other for a while, my crush didn't start developing until we were cast into roles as leads in the play "The History of Tom Jones."   His character Tom Jones, who was always trying to do the right thing, always ended up in the wrong places at the wrong time, kissing the wrong girls and generally was blamed for everything.  (Don't feel too bad for him, he got to kiss four girls in this play) Sophia (I) was his love interest.  But in real life, Kyle (Tom) was mine.

Kissing my crush on stage was a double edge sword, tortuously exhilarating. Maybe I'm a closeted masochist.  The crush continued long after the play had ended, but nothing but flirts came my way.  He was flirtatious enough to keep me hanging by a thread, but distant enough to make me bang my head against the stage in utter and complete confusion.

Up until then, I had had other boys to chase, other flirtations to lead.  I had always been the chaser, but when the mouse actually came my way, stood in front of me and looked into the eyes of the hunter, I had tucked my tail beneath my legs and sprinted to the nearest exit.  I was flirtatious, I enjoyed the thrill of hunt, but I never meant to actually attack, just stalk, that is until Kyle.  Maybe that was his plan all along. Maybe he could sense that I was a feline who needed a seemingly endless chase to be tricked into settling.  Maybe, had Kyle walked into my set trap the first or second time, I would have simply left him the cheese to nibble on and walked away.  But as it turned out, I didn't leave.  I honestly don't know what made the difference.  He called one day, and I could tell by the sound of his voice that he had made up his mind, that I would no longer dangle forever swatting at the catnip and I could have turned on my heels and made a run for it as I had always done in the past, but instead, I ran straight into his arms or rather his lips.  He claims, he had no intention of kissing me that day he came over, but we all know what sixteen year old boys are like and boy am I glad he went with his impulse.

The following day at school, I knew would be disastrous.  He would surely be awkward.  Would he pretend it hadn't happened?  He was male after all.  But there he was, waiting for me by the front door of the theater building, ready to show the world that he meant business.  That that kiss, wasn't just an impulse but some type of badge of liking (probably too early to say commitment).  He really did like me.  That like soon swirled into love and later, five years later, even marriage.

I can't believe it was ten years ago when that first kiss happened.  He was my first "true kiss." He was my first "real boyfriend."  How did it happen that I kissed the boy that I was going to marry on that fateful day? Sometimes I forget how much I love Kyle, but when I remember, when I am reminded of what my life would look like without his constant love and affection, I thank God for our lives being brought together.

I love the way he cries when he laughs.  I love how he isn't afraid to kiss me in public.  I love that he can make me laugh until my stomach cramps.  I love that he tames the beast when I get so angry I grow extra heads. I love that he has dreams and confidence that our dreams are attainable.  I love that he challenges me in ways no one else does.

I once made a list of characteristics of what I was looking for in a boyfriend/husband.  Besides being rich, he met every requirement, no one is perfect. We are so blessed in so many ways.  I thank God for these ten beautiful years with that 16 year old boy who is now my husband.

He asked me to homecoming "as a friend" before we started dating.

Our first prom

Our doorbell rang at 9 am on a Saturday.  Kyle ran to answer it.  He came back with these.  (Flowers are really special in Korea because they are ridiculously priced) It was a nice way to start the morning of our anniversary.