Jesse

In October, 2013, I met a man with dark hair and strong build at a coffee shop in northeast Minneapolis. We had been introduced the night prior via an online dating service.

I only remember one thing about Jesse's online profile: "What are you looking for in a relationship partner?" the questionnaire asked. "Someone to worry about when it snows," was Jesse's response.

My first live observations of Jesse were: a love for motorcycles and dirt bikes; a soft heart toward God, and a pair of strong hands. He also seemed to enjoy the arts almost as much as I do.

Within hours after our coffee date, he was sending me sappy texts and asking to see me again. I spent the next four to six weeks ecstatic, yet terrified he would prove too good to be true. We visited the Minneapolis Institutes of Art together. I appreciated his active participation in our tour.

One sunny Saturday in December, he took me for my first visit to a live Christmas tree farm, which was located near Stacy, Minn. My youngest niece, Vienna, came with us. We spent hours looking at the trees and chasing Vienna through the seas of brilliant snow drifts, Vienna wearing her hot pink coat and I wearing my favorite black down coat. When we at last had found the perfect Christmas tree, Jesse chopped it down with his handsaw before throwing it on top of my vehicle with his hands.

As weeks of dating turned into months, I learned that Jesse truly is the kindest, most level-headed, and most forgiving man I could have ever hoped to meet. On November 1, 2014 we were married. At the age of 42, I had found a man perfect for me, complementary in personality and values--and definitely someone who never stops worrying about me.