In my last post I talked about how I had been dating online for years, and ended by saying Pedro and I connected there.
On November 20, 2020, we wrote to each other for the first time online. A year later I still get heart flutters when I see a new email from him. That’s fun.
On Christmas Day, 2020, I knew he would be alone. I was also alone. For the first Christmas I could remember, I had no family with me. The pandemic was inescapable. I ached for my Tara. Pedro’s kids were with their mom. I messaged him because I wanted human contact and I knew he would too – being in the same situation as me. We messaged all day, talking about normal things, kids, holidays, the pandemic. He messaged me in the middle of the night, still thinking about me. I woke up for some reason in the middle of the night, and saw the text.
Pandemic be damned. In the morning I invited him over. I would be burning one of the brush piles on my property in the rain. Might as well have company and watch a bonfire in the rain together. He got lost and tried to describe to me over the phone where he was, while I giggled. I could hear his car in the distance, he was that close, but still he took a wrong turn and drove away. Finally he found my place and I had been so distracted trying to give him directions that I was in my beat up old farm boots and a wool-lined flannel work coat and gloves when he arrived. I had been working at the fire wood pile and forgot to change so I could impress him. He told me later that he was glad I was wearing dirty farm clothes when he arrived, because it took all the pressure off. HA!!
Such was our inauspicious first meeting.
We met in 2020, a year famously horrible for millions of people. There were really bad things about my 2020, and some really truly wonderful things. The best thing is Pedro. Turns out, that was his real name.
One year knowing a person doesn’t tell you what you need to know about that person, I don’t think. My impression is that it takes five years to see and share enough things that you can get a real sense of the person. So we have four more to go till we get to that point. I’m looking forward to it.
This post is just for me. I’m so friggin’ happy I hardly know what to do with myself. You don’t need to be invested, but thank you for being here and being an audience for my happiness. ❤
Conscious Engagement 
Ahh, Crystal! This is so so wonderful! Your happiness is palpable and I feel honoured and exhilarated to be able to share it with both of you. I’m extra glad that I got to meet you (in person) in your first year and take some wonderful young love photos. I love this post so much, your selection of photos and your captions. You are wonderful together and I’m pretty sure this is what you will realise in your fifth year, even though you know it already. Congratulations to both of you from all of us. Much health and the rest will follow. ❤
Thank you Manja. Yes, you got to meet us during this time when our love is shiny and new, and we look for every opportunity to gaze into each other’s eyes. It’s sweet and special, and I am trying to appreciate every moment of it. I know you are right, about what I’ll think in the fifth year – I already know. I was trying to agree with Derrick when he said something about “just knowing” when it’s right. I had heard that from people in my past and thought it was ridiculousness. But then it’s how I feel now about Pedro. I don’t know why I just know he’s the one, but I know. And it feels good. ❤ I'm glad you liked the photos I picked. It was fun to go through the last year, looking for my man in each photo, and choosing the ones that reflected my feelings when I wrote this. My favourite of all is the one you took, at the top. It's perfect. Thank you.
❤❤❤
A wonderfully uplifting post. You did well to invite him over, and I’m sure it wouldn’t have mattered what you wore. Happy anniversary to you both
Ha ha ha!!! I’m sure you are right, Derrick, that it wouldn’t have mattered what I wore. He was smitten with me within hours, if he hadn’t been already through our emails. Thank you for your cheers. He is a kind-hearted, honest, generous, thoughtful person – also wicked smart – who makes me try harder to be a better person. Opposites might attract, but he has so many qualities I want to emulate, so I feel like I am more who I want to be when I’m with him. I’m glad it was uplifting to you. I guess anything that’s joyous and from the heart will come across well. Like I said, I’m writing this for me (and for Pedro – I told him to read it).
🙂
I loved reading how in love you are and it seems Pedro feels the same way. I’m fully invested in this because I want to see you happily coupled with a real partner. Looks like you have found that. You have been in my thoughts as we travel and hoping we can keep in touch. Not always reliable internet.
Marlene it’s good to hear from you and I hope you and your kids are well. Have a good Thanksgiving if you see this message in time. I’m planning to head out to Lyle to visit my Yakama friends today. Yes, I am pretty sure Pedro feels the same way, and yes, he is a real partner. We do a lot to hold each other up. I’m glad you got to meet him and thanks for loving me and wanting the best for me. ❤
I’ll be thinking of you in Yakama today. This won’t be and easy dinner to attend. They like to talk politics and have different ideology so we stuff a lot of food into our mouths and keep quiet. Happy Indigenous Peoples Day, Crystal. I know it’s tomorrow but it should be today.
I know exactly what you’re describing and I hope it turns out to be easy to manage. They haven’t seen you for a while and won’t see you for a while, so I hope they are motivated to make the time pleasant.
Thank you for celebrating my Native American Heritage with me. I have never liked Thanksgiving – more for the reasons you just mentioned than anything to do with U.S. history – so I’d rather think about tomorrow anyway! Pedro and I send our love. I send you squishy hugs that last a long time. ❤
I love this joyous post you wrote just for yourself, Crystal. Such a blessing to have someone that brings love, joy and laughter into your life.
Thank you, Jolandi. ❤ He does do all that, and I feel so lucky.