In honor of Valentine’s Day, I thought I would write Sesame a letter about how I met his dad. Sidebar: I became obsessed with the show How I Met Your Mother while pregnant and stuck in the house in the evenings.
Dear Sesame,
Yes, I’m writing you another letter. I know you probably are getting tired of them, but this is a funny, not so mushy one… well maybe a little mushy. By the time you read this letter, you will have been exposed to countless reruns of the show, How I Met Your Mother, and the title will all make sense.
One of my favorite pictures from summer 2008
Anywho, so how did I meet your father? The summer before I moved to Atlanta for graduate school your great uncle saw an online ad for after school teachers at a charter school in a close proximity to my school. I applied for the job and interviewed during a family reunion trip a month or so before I moved there. I was elated when I found out I got the job because at the time I thought I wanted to start working with younger children. As you know now that changed and I leave the K-8 students to your dad.
Before the school year started there was a meeting for all the after school teachers. It was at this meeting that I initially noticed your dad. I’m sure he didn’t notice me at that point, but I noticed his locs right away. Hopefully, he still has them when you read this, but if not there are pictures. He was being silly with a few of the other teachers and I thought he seemed like he would be friendly. I didn’t say anything to him, but I did go home and immediately message one of my friends about a cute guy at my job with locs.
My 27th birthday
Weeks went by and I kept checking him out, but never saying anything to him until one day I wore a Michigan sweatshirt to work (I probably still have it) and he saw me signing in and asked me if I was from there. I said yes and that I went there for undergrad. He told me he was from the Midwest as well and we had a quick conversation that I can’t really remember. I just remember his voice changing slightly and his Chicago accent coming out. I thought it was cute. (Sorry I know you’re probably grossed out right now)
A few more weeks went by and I would speak in passing, but nothing happened. By this time, my friend kept telling me to be assertive and talk to him. Heck… I was an adult and I needed friends in Atlanta, but yea I still refrained. Well on October 26, 2006 your dad happened to see me at the bus stop and offered me a ride home. I had just missed my bus and it would be 35 minutes before the next one showed up. I was a little reluctant to get in the car and it didn’t help that one of your aunts was screaming in my ear that I was going to end up a Lifetime Movie Special because I got in the car with a stranger. I told her he wasn’t really a stranger because he worked with me, but I didn’t remember his name. DO NOT GET IN THE CAR WITH A STRANGER!!! (Yes this is a do as I say not as I do moment)
This was about two weeks before you were born…
I accepted his offer and as he drove me home I kind of talked a lot… yes a lot… you know mommy likes to talk lol. I don’t really remember everything we talked about on that car ride, but I do remember him mentioning that his alma mater’s homecoming was that weekend. I had never been to an HBCU homecoming, so I used it as a way to give him my number. I told him to call me and show around. That was on a Thursday… Friday went by and he didn’t call… Saturday still no call… I was a little sad but hey at least I took a chance. On Sunday (October 29th this ended up being our anniversary) while at dinner with friends, guess who called? Yup… your dad. We hung out later that day and have been pretty inseparable every since.
I’ll let your dad fill in his parts later…
