The FBF

The day after my birthday I received the following email on my myspace page:

August 1, 2007

Hi LeeAnne,

You don't know me, but I have read your blogs and your story and it has touched my heart immensely. I want you to know that you are in my prayers daily and that I believe you will prevail. The owner of my company battled breast cancer twice and beat it, and I know you will too.

I know that it is one of the most difficult things that you have ever been through and some days you wonder whether it is worth the pain and fatigue and depression. I want you to know that it IS worth it, as you have beautiful children and your art is beautiful. You have much to offer this world and I would be proud to get to know you as a friend.

I really appreciate how candid you have been in your blogs and know how difficult it must be to share your innermost feelings with many people whom you have never met. Your courage and your determination is contagious and I am certain that you have inspired many.

I hope that you will find it in your heart to add me as your friend, and that someday we can meet for a margarita or three and discuss life and humor and everything else that life has to offer because as you know, we all are here for a very short time and we need to make the most of it.

Looking forward to hearing from you, much love and prayers,

The FBF

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The email was accompanied by a profile of a man my age, who lived 3 miles away. I was not overly impressed, but I've always welcomed new penpals and he seemed nice enough for an amusement.

Little did I know what was starting. We traded emails, sometimes writing back and forth 3, 4 even 5 times a day. We shared our stories and discovered a tremendous amount in common. So much in common that sometimes it was eerie. The friendly banter began to take on a flirtatious edge...

After a month of writing, a weekend of constant IMs and several nights of hours-long, laugh-filled phone conversations it was time to meet and see if there was any sort of connection in person. I'd done enough internet dating to know that you can have the greatest online rapport and even hit it off on the telephone, but that doesn't necessarily translate over to real life. I wasn't into wasting time... if there was no chemistry I was going to have to swat this guy. Quickly.

So on the afternoon of August 31, a couple of days after writing this, I called The FBF to tell him that if he wanted to meet me, I'd be laying on a chair at Starbucks while the cleaning ladies were at my house. He said he'd be there. When he walked in and smiled at me that was it. Within 2 seconds of meeting him I knew that we had SERIOUS chemistry. I also knew that we were going to be significant to each other.

I was right. And God? Thanks for the awesome surprise. You rock.