A Date To Remember

May 11th. This is a big date around here, at our house! It's the day 17 years ago I got in my car after work, to head off to the Mozart Cafe on Southport street in Chicago where I had made plans to meet up with a blind date. Not that on the way I didn't repeat to myself, several times, "Don't expect much! He may be nice, but seriously, who writes a girl they read about in the newspaper, asking for a date? And for that matter, what kind of girl actually answers and says yes!"

I arrived to an empty coffee shop, except for one lone man sitting at a table reading. I walked in, circled the room and began to head back out the door. It didn't even occur to me the handsome man at the table could be the guy who had written me. But, amazingly, he looked up, smiled and said "Janell?"

And that was that. We hit it off, dating from that day on. A little over a year later we headed out on a new adventure together, moving to San Francisco where we later married and started a family.

Today I wanted to thank him for being the person who has never stopped being my number one fan and supporter. To nearly anything I get into my head I'd like to try or take on, he's there asking how he can help. Perhaps because he first read about me in that Chicago Tribune article, intrigued by a story of someone following their dreams by launching a business, he has always appreciated this aspect of me - despite the work it has required on his part to be a champion of my ideas. I wanted to remind him today, and myself because I sometimes forget, how much I appreciate this. 

Life certainly is a lot sweeter when you've got a true fan in your corner.