No matter where we are...

it won't be long 'til we see each other again.

So I had a thought the other day, (well, a few weeks ago now…) sparked by a question my dad asked when we were camping a few weeks ago (now months… :D): so what is Hall's and your story? Few people in Cedar Rapids knew we were talking, let alone dating until we put it on facebook. Fewer know our story before that.

We met "officially" in the beginning of June when he came to the youth office to get a tub for the Mexico trip; but I didn't really know him until the first of the 8 Great Escapes, "stuff mania", a few days later. We were volunteering for jobs, and it just so happened that he and I volunteered for the same one, along with Matt McDowell. Stationed across from each other for over an hour while doing an almost mind-numbing task, there was little to do but talk; plus, I was there to get to know people. Time to start!

I don't remember it super well; all I remember is the feeling that getting information from this boy felt like pulling teeth. I didn't know anything about him, I didn't know what questions to ask to elicit a response, and so I vaguely remember feeling a tad awkward. I DO remember races with Matt and... I think Ariel (?) against the two of us, just to make things a little more interesting and quicker.

Sometime in those next few weeks I joined the Converse small group, an enjoyable group of students that met on Monday evenings. Hall, of course, also attended weekly--though he was in no way a motivational factor at the time. He intrigued me and I wanted to know more about him, but was definitely too quiet for me--plus more than 3 years younger. It would never work out.

Fast forward to July 9th. Mexico. Memories and friendships that will last a lifetime; what I consider to be the REAL beginning of my internship. Hall, of course, was also on the trip. He was one of the few with whom I had any sort of relationship at that point, which is why I asked to sit with him on the bus a day or 2 into the trip. He was still someone I wanted to get to know more, and he was sitting in a different part of the bus than I was; I wanted to move around and meet new people; share the wealth. :D

The foundation was set for relationships with almost every student there after that trip; some more than others of course, but no one or two people in particular. Hall was still just another member, just another friend. But a friend that, for some reason, I felt drawn to in a strange and unfamiliar way. Not obsessively, not inappropriately; not even romantically. Just drawn. He had a way of making me feel comfortable that I just can't explain in words; and I just couldn't get past the feeling that he has an incredible amount of patience when dealing with people.

The day after we got home, we had the bus cleaning party. Hall, though late, attended. We cleaned the bus and the SUV, then I took everyone for ice-cream, on the church. Most people left straight from there, but there were five of us that walked back to the church and had no plans. I carried a deck of cards with me at all times in case of emergencies, so I offered to get it and we could play ultimate spoons--it's like spoons, but instead of the spoons being set in the middle of the circle, they're hidden. And we used knives instead. Plastic ones. :D This became a weekly tradition for whoever wanted to come; every Monday we would meet at 4, play ultimate knives, eat some food, and go to Bible study at 7.

In July, right after the Mexico trip, I was looking at his facebook notes, trying to learn more about him. I found a poem he had written full of metaphors; still knowing very little about him, I didn't know what to make of it. So of course, I facebook messaged him about it. And he responded. And I responded. And he responded. And I responded. Are you noticing a pattern? :D

In messaging, we began talking about relationships. One blog post he wrote is a brief history of his dating experiences, and in some ways I was healing again from a recently reopened wound. I needed someone to talk to for the sake of sharing my story, and I knew he would be a good listening ear. We met on Monday before ultimate knives, and I told him everything I could remember about my story; then he told me his: he dated a certain girl for a very short time, but she broke up with him for reasons he couldn’t explain; he fully expected, it seemed, for it to work out.

For some reason I felt disappointed. It confused and surprised me, but I pushed it aside and ignored it.

So there we were. Through July and August we had Wednesday nights, Monday nights, and hung out a great deal in the same circle of friends, as well as our facebook message conversation which was updated once or twice per week.

In the midst of that, we began planning the Middle School fall retreat which was to be in October. Hall was put in charged of coming up with a band; I volunteered to be a part of it. It took a few weeks, but we put together a team. Then after a few more weeks, we had a list of songs and began practicing.

Sometime in the beginning of September I decided that I wanted to go to the Amana colonies on my day off--Thursday. Even then there was no one person I was close to. When I wasn't in a group, I was alone. I ate most of my meals alone. I enjoyed the freedom very much, but to tell the truth, it was one of the loneliest times of my life. I knew people I could call to go to the Amanas with me, but school was in session and they were all in high school. Except for Hall. Who came with me. And brought his sister Gabbi. And it was a little awkward overall. It rained the whole day, and it was very, very cold. The two of them only came along for the sake of coming along, but the fact that we were only there for 2 hours and wet and freezing... I felt a little bad. But no one caught pneumonia and died, so we're all good. :)

When we got back to their house, we decided to watch a movie. Their mom, however, wasn’t home from work yet, and it’s best if they ask before inviting someone in. Wilson remembered that she said she would be home late, so it was pointless for me to wait around—plus it was cold! So I left and went to the church. For some reason I felt very sad. Instead of going straight in, I sat in my car and watched it rain for fifteen minutes or so; I think I even cried. It was a lot of things combined that made me feel that way, but mostly it was the disappointment of not spending another few hours with him. And that confused me as much as it scared me.

A week or so after that, Hall approached me with a heavy heart one Monday night after Converse. I still couldn't read him well, but I knew him well enough to know that something was troubling him very much. He waited for me as I locked up, and then asked a question I've possibly given more thought to than almost anything else I've encountered so far in life. "How are you so content to be single?" He was trying. We talked for an hour, but I wasn't satisfied at all with all I said. I proposed getting together on my day off to continue the conversation.

So three days later we went to Starbucks and talked. For several hours. Mostly, if I recall correctly, it was just me talking and him listening. For a change. ;) But a few days later I messaged him and asked if he wanted to do it again--but this time HE had to talk.

So began the Thursday tradition of Hall and me hanging out at coffee shops.

Around this same time, the Monday tradition of ultimate knives was dying. But there was always one person I could count on to be there, and it was almost always just the 2 of us... (do I really have to say who?) :D

Thanksgiving day was on my day off--obviously, it's always on a Thursday--but I had plans for Thanksgiving and he had to work. So we had to change our traditional Thursday afternoon to a Wednesday evening, due to youth group being cancelled. We met for coffee. Then we went to a movie. Then we went to Wendy's. Then we went to Wal-Mart.

When I got home I checked my email. Hall had sent me a facebook message telling me that there was something he wanted to speak with me about on Monday, and not to let him forget. I had a feeling I knew what it was, but I played along.

Hall came down to the basement on Monday like normal. Everyone had left the office already, so it was just the two of us, which was nice considering the anticipated nature of our conversation. I wasn’t sure how to go about it, so I simply asked what it was that he wished to discuss with me. He thought for a moment to decide how to word it, and said, “I’ve been… attracted to you since Mexico.” Wow. That came as a surprise. That he liked me was fairly obvious by that point; that it had been going on since Mexico floored me. I liked him too of course, but I didn’t know what we should do about it, if anything. After all, I was leaving in a matter of days, I’m more than 3 years older, and I live 8 hours away. I was just about to finish my college career, whereas he had yet to begin his.

There were lots of obstacles.

I was already planning on coming back to visit toward the end of January, due to a wedding I was to be in conveniently located 2 hours from Cedar Rapids. We decided that we should see how well we do at maintaining a long-distance friendship, then reevaluate the relationship when I come to visit in January.

Throughout the next 6 weeks, we talked almost daily for hours on end. When it came time to evaluate our relationship, to say that we were dating—a couple, whatever you want to call it—was only natural; there was no change in our relationship, only the title.

Now, here we are almost 7 months later, happy as we could be for being 8 hours apart… and in a nutshell, that’s the story morning glory. :)

Let's get rich and buy our parents homes in the south of France.

Let's get rich and give everybody nice sweaters and teach them how to dance...

So it's been more that 3 months since my last post, and I've been sleeping an awful lot lately, so I'm not tired yet. I guess it's time for another one!

So the big thing that's been on my mind recently is the image of God. What does it mean to be made in His image? Have you ever really thought about it? Sure, the Bible says in Genesis that He created man in His image; male and female, He created them. But it never really defines that...

I hold to the belief that the idea that we were created in His image is that we have souls. Every single human being has one, and we are the only species that was given one. If any one thing makes us human, I would say that's it.

But what does it matter? A human is a human; why would anyone think any differently?

Because the view you hold on this will directly influence your thoughts about the physically or mentally impaired, and what rights they should have; it will affect the view you hold on abortion; it will challenge your thoughts and actions towards people that are different from you.

It matters because what happened just decades ago in Germany is something that could happen again. The pitiless slaughter of millions of people happened because a nation was led to believe that a certain race was less than human, and responsible for the de-moralization of society. It matters.

And on that light note, it's time for bed. :)