A modern day fairy tale

Once upon a time, there was a girl. And, there was also a boy.

This girl and this boy grew up attending the same school, from elementary through high school graduation. The girl was a good girl, and the boy....well....not so much. He lived on the edge, sometimes learned lessons the hard way. She played by the rules, tried not to rock the boat. He a bit of a rebel; she a people pleaser.

He didn't like her, and she didn't like him.

Fast forward about 10 years. The girl and the boy had both gotten married (not to each other) and ended up attending the same church. They sat on opposite sides, and the girl--always trying to make peace and frankly, be liked by others, said hi when they passed and tried to let bygones be bygones. They ended up in the same Sunday School class and were cordial, but not necessarily friends.

The girl was, however, friendly with the boy's wife; but she was a bit afraid to get to close to her, thinking that the boy still didn't really like her.

Time passed and tensions eased....and a friendship was formed between the girl and that boy's wife. A deep one. Probably, the girl would say, this boy's wife was her very best friend. Ever. And as a friendship was deepening in one spot, it began developing somewhere else: between the girl's husband and that boy. Since the two girls were spending more and more time together, the boys were forced to as well--and they found out that they really did enjoy each other's company and that they had a lot in common.

{Mostly sarcasm.}

Within approximately no time at all, the girl and the boy found out that, as adults, they really did like each other.  And all four became close buddies.

They even ended up vacationing together, for crying out loud.

{Tom, Jen, me, Shane on our cruise}

{Aiden, Cameron, Ethan, Colin, Brooklyn, and Lola on our trip to Holiday World}

Who'd have ever, ever thought?

That girl was me, and that boy was Tom. And, as unlikely as it was that the two of us would end up in each other's lives as adults, I am sure glad that is the path that God took us both down.

Because, after all, if it weren't for Tom--I wouldn't have Jen.

I was lucky enough to get to spend Jen's birthday with her. 

I can tell you that there isn't another girl on this earth who gets me quite like she does!

image courtesy of Pinterest

We had a wonderful (gigantic) breakfast at Le Peep--a place we've always talked about 

going but never have. It was as good as we'd hoped it would be!

And then, Tom treated both of us to a Spa day. It truly was incredible--neither of us wanted to leave!

Some things are amazing to watch come around full circle--and I would say that this bond between the four of us is one of those things.

So thankful for Jen....

....and yes....even for that boy.

And they all lived happily ever after.
(Couldn't resist.)