9-9-99

A woman who has been married three times is bound to have numerous romantic stories, right? Right? Wrong. I have had some nice experiences in my day but not many of them are truly blog worthy...but there is this one.

In high school I had a rather hectic schedule. From the age of 15 I had been working 6 days a week at a taco joint at the local mall. This afforded me money for some of the things I needed as a teenager however dating, going out with friends and all of those other teenage must do's weren't exactly in the cards for me. I would go to school at 7:00am. Get out at 3:20PM. Ride the bus to the mall where I clocked in at 4PM and would typically work until around 11PM. Once home I had homework to do until I passed out and then I would begin it all again.

Friends knew that if they wanted to speak with me it would be necessary to come to Taco Casa and order a burrito. And each night they typically would...one in particular began to come in 4-5 times a week. His name was Ben and we were classmates. Ben seemed to be extra friendly...I had an on again/off again boyfriend so I wasn't really looking...however the on again/off again guy wasn't exactly good to me. Despite this, I wasn't a cheater so I kept my distance and kept conversation with Ben on a friendly level only.

One night in 1991 Ben was visiting when I hit my hand on the counter and broke my pink ice ring (remember those?). I cried. I loved that ring to pieces. Ben turned around and without saying a word he walked out...I looked to my co-worker and said "That...was odd." However he returned 10 minutes later with a bag...he called me over and said "I'm sorry that this is all I could afford at the moment...but I hope it makes you smile." He handed me the bag and walked out.

It was a ring pop. A beautiful pink ring pop. I looked up and watched as he walked away...and I thought to myself "Now that was sweet.." It was the first time that I saw Ben in a different light. A "possible date" kind of light.

Never the less it wasn't to be...my on again/off again boyfriend became my husband about a year later...and if you have read my blogs below you know my first husband wasn't exactly a winner...about a year after my divorce I ran into Ben while grocery shopping one night and before I knew it we were dating. It was 1998. Seven years had passed since the ring pop incident. I explained to him that his ring pop gift was the moment I realized he could potentially be a good prospect for my life...we giggled about it. Things progressed. We talked briefly of marriage in early 99 and I explained to him that I knew it would be too soon for us, but I had decided when I was 14 that I wanted to get married on 9-9-99 at 9:09PM. I had seen a couple who married on 8-8-88 as a teen and thought it was coolest thing ever...although marriage was out of the question that September, I truly hoped to do something special on that day.

A few months later we had moved in together. It was one of those long work days...I was working a 10 hour shift, not at all unusual and Ben had been working for me (yes, I was technically his boss lol)...We finally got off work and we drove to my parents house to pick up my 2 sons...Ben seemed rushed, very unusual for him. He had always been so laid back...but he was ready to go almost as soon as soon we got there. We jumped into my little blue cavalier and drove off down the road...about 2 miles into our journey home he asked me to pull over. I asked him if something was wrong and again he just said "Please, pull over...now." And so I did.

He got out of the car and walked quickly to my side...he opened my door as he asked "Have you noticed today's date?" I pondered this for about 2 seconds and then remembered what I had somehow forgotten to realize all day. "Ben, it's 9-9-99." He then asked me for the time...I turned back to have a look at the clock. It was exactly 9:09PM. When I turned back to his direction he was already on one knee in the vacant parking lot of the tiny small town market...

"Mandi, I love you. Will you please be my wife?" And from behind his back, 8 years after his first sweet gesture, he presented to me a beautiful pink ring pop. I froze but only momentarily before breaking down into tears and saying "Of course I will!"

We were married on February 25, 2000.

Our divorce was final on April 9, 2005. Not because I didn't get a real ring...although it would have been nice. We divorced because we were always meant to remain friends...and I believe both of us could sense this. Today I still call him a friend...and I am eternally grateful to him for two of the sweetest acts of kindness I have ever had the privilege of experiencing.