LET'S DIG | Pierre & Danilee Aristil
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LET'S DIG | Pierre & Danilee Aristil
Our Story | Part 2 | From MySpace to Marriage
Turning points aren't always signaled by fanfare—sometimes, they're found in quiet advice shared over dinner or in the decision to pursue a passion, like Dan's leap into cosmetology school. In this episode, we delve into how we navigated tough choices about our relationship and careers, interweaving personal growth and humility. Dan's heartfelt story of the wisdom he received that reshaped his view of our future together serves as a reminder of how life's compass often points us in unexpected directions.
Our final reflections bring us to the intersection of love, faith, and the trials of pre-digital long-distance dating. We reminisce about cultural quirks, the sacredness of marital titles, and the commitment to date intentionally. Our story is not just a recount of the past; it is brimming with the wisdom and insights we've gathered along the way, with the hope that it might light a path for others in their journey of relationships and self-discovery. Join us as we celebrate the humor, intimacy, and divinely guided steps that led to a love built to last.
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A lot of couples young couples, people that we have come across have asked us how did we know that we were the one? So this is the episode. This is the one you're going to watch. If you're dating someone or you see marriage in your future, this is the one that you want to watch, that's right. So this is part two. If you didn't catch part one, go back and catch up on how we met. You need to know how it all began and it's not important.
Speaker 1:It's not what you think you're gonna say it's not what you think but it's very important, it it's cool. Okay, so we're gonna pick up on 2007. Yeah, in the summer. We just finished that semester of school here, summer of 2007 yeah we're starting to like each other, we're starting to kiss each other. All the things, not all the things. All the things, not all the things that sounds weird.
Speaker 2:Yeah, not all the things. We were just hanging out all the time, but starting to like each other.
Speaker 1:You go home to Florida for the summer to work an internship at your church.
Speaker 2:Let me say this real quick that summer was weird because we were in college and we stayed after a few extra weeks after the college season was over. Because we were part of like a band and the band we were doing like a, like a conference. It was like a conference or something like that week. So we got a chance to be part of that and be like and be in all that stuff and we were hanging out a lot. But you hurt my feelings that summer.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, I remember that part.
Speaker 2:Because we started crushing on each other. I was liking you, I was liking you. I was liking other people too at the same time, but you just brushed over that very quickly. Yes, there was I. We weren't dating, so my options were mad open, so relax.
Speaker 1:We said this in the last episode. Boys govern themselves differently than girls do and girls would never talk to multiple boys, because if we did, then there's two letter words for that. Ho. Yes.
Speaker 2:What's that oh?
Speaker 1:I was just trying, but it's not that we are Santa loves to. Oh yeah, go ahead, santa, but we do not function that way. But boys do. So anyways, we talked about that in the other episode Going forward. So we were in a rehearsal and we had started crushing each other, started liking each other, and I went to say goodbye to everyone, and I literally said goodbye to everyone on the stage except you.
Speaker 2:That's crazy and I had to play it off. Yo, this was messed up, that she did this to me first of all, um, but, which is weird, for me to say that you hurt my feelings. It is weird. But.
Speaker 1:I was so nervous. I picked such bad boys before and not bad boys in like. He was a hot bad boy as in like you're just not a good pick, and so I really did not trust myself when I started liking you. I didn't trust that you were a good pick. I was nervous of people's feedback.
Speaker 2:It's wild how much we realize over the years that you care so much about what people think. Yep, I do. That it literally will paralyze you, which is wild. And literally was the guy that you were crushing on, the guy that you were liking, and you didn't know what other people would think about you liking me, so you gave me the cold shoulder.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because to be fair, I was a third year at a two-year school so I was like, in this honors program and you were a first semester, that it was like a no, no, like we don't date first semester people like you shouldn't. So, just to be fair, there it. There was like all this context around it. Anyways, I did hurt your feelings and I'm so sorry, so you go home for the summer.
Speaker 2:Let's make this go on record. Oh my, here we go. 17 years later, I finally get apology you act like I've never said I'm sorry. I said sorry as soon as you told me I hurt your feelings. I don't recall it wasn't on record like this.
Speaker 1:So that summer you go home, you go home. We hung out. You go to Florida to be an intern at your church. You want me to tell the story? Go ahead, go for it, because you're mad, struggling with the story.
Speaker 2:I know you guys, I know you rushing and stuff like that, but relax, we chilling. I yes that all that part was right, thank, you, I was right we were just.
Speaker 2:That was around the time too, when, you know, you guys remember the cell phone times where it was free after nine and a mobile to mobile, all that stuff, and we had to pay for minutes. You know all the Gen Zers like what you guys had to pay for minutes. Yes, we had 400 minutes a month, right, I did with T-Mobile at that time, which I think I still owed him a lot of money.
Speaker 1:No.
Speaker 2:I paid it off, we paid it off, okay. So there, yeah, we went. You know, we kind of just it was summer break, so we're like, yo see you in two months.
Speaker 1:Right, you know, but we could still text, we could still talk, all this great idea of like you would come back to school in August. We would be that cute new couple I'd be graduated doing whatever I'm doing, but like we would start off the year and we'd be official.
Speaker 2:That's what you had in your mind. That's I went back home thinking like maybe I could reconcile some stuff with my ex-girlfriend because she was back home too. We're going to see what's going to happen, maybe what you know your long distance. So there's going to be no conflict there. I'm just going to be honest with you.
Speaker 1:That was just what was in my mind that is disgusting.
Speaker 2:Which is crazy that we were in Bible college around this time where people would think like Bible college has all these rules, things like that. But that stuff doesn't work because at the end of the day God looks at the heart and so we can do all these things on the outside to try to pump fake people, but at the end of the day in my head and in my heart I was like man, I'm a young guy, I'm 19. I'm like I'm not really sure. You know, I do love the Lord, I do feel called to ministry. So I'm like us guys. Sometimes it's flattering when multiple girls are attracted to you and we don't know how to literally control it. Sometimes. That's fair, that's the true thing. And it's not all guys. I get it. Some guys are like man, I know how to control myself. You're a liar, but that's fine. Okay, I'm not going to judge you Right. For me, I'm 19.
Speaker 2:At the time my ex-girlfriend broke up with me over the phone. We started hanging out. We went on that one date, which go back to part one and go back and watch that. We'll tell you the whole story. That summer, I remember, I went back home. I'm like okay, let's see what happens. I stayed in contact with you. I stayed in contact with a few girls.
Speaker 1:We talked a lot that summer too, so I don't know how you were talking to everybody else.
Speaker 2:That was the time where T-Mobile was like yo, you owe us a lot of money. And I was like I was trying to call everybody after nine o'clock because the minutes were racking up. That was just the truth. But at the end of the day for me, I just saw it as my options. My options were just open. So to me, like I wasn't crossing any lines, I wasn't like lying or anything like that.
Speaker 1:It was you sure weren't telling nobody, but whatever.
Speaker 2:I wasn't, but because to me I'm like okay, here's the thought and this is what I don't know. To me I'm like should I tell, like, when I'm 19 and I'm talking to a few girls, at that time, should I tell all the girls that I'm talking to? No, I'm like, I don't owe you nothing, we weren't committed or anything like that. I'm just a free agent.
Speaker 1:Okay, we're not arguing this whole thing. The point is our story. Let's move on. Oh.
Speaker 2:Because, this is a whole different conversation.
Speaker 1:This is a whole different episode this is a whole different episode of how men and boys act when they're dating and how women or girls act when they're dating dating and how women or girls act when they're dating.
Speaker 2:So that's a whole different conversation. Okay, make a note of that. Can you guys make a note of that?
Speaker 1:People are here to find out how we knew if we were the one or not.
Speaker 2:Okay, let me pause right now and say, hey, if you guys are enjoying these videos and you like these conversations, you like this podcast, whatever it is, maybe hit like, hit like, hit like is really cool. You don't have to subscribe, I get it. Subscribing is a really big commitment. I I hold back my on my subscribes Cause I'm like man, I don't I don't even want people's stuff all over my feet all the time, so I get it. We hold back on our subscribes. But hey, if you are enjoying these conversations, if you feel like it's bringing value to you, I want to ask you if you wouldn't mind just smashing that like button and just showing us that you like it.
Speaker 2:It's for free, don't hold back on your likes.
Speaker 2:And here's a cool thing about hitting like is that the algorithm says, like, okay, somebody likes this video, let's suggest it to some other people that may like this conversation too as well. So that's how you can help us and support us. And so if you're listening on podcast, Apple, things like that write us a review. That's what helps us, too as well. So let's go back to it. So that summer we were just kind of chilling talking over the phone. I was actually on this choir tour. I got a chance to see you on that choir tour that summer, which was really cool.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's right. My dad drove us to go see you in Kentucky.
Speaker 2:I was playing bass, had my little Afro guys, you know, looking all all funny and stuff like that. And I remember calling you early that fall, before the school semester started, back up, when we were really liking each other. We had plans Because I knew in my head I was like yo, I think she could be the one that might jump into. That was around MySpace time too. So you guys know MySpace. It was a statement when you would put someone as your number one or your number two. You know what I mean. And so I remember thinking, like yo, she might move up to number two or three on the MySpace. But we really started liking each other. Some of the other girls I honestly like a few of them. I just stopped calling, stopped talking. There's one that I remember specifically that I was like man. I just stopped calling her, which I did call her many years later saying like I'm sorry.
Speaker 2:That was messed up Like guys. Let's not be a bunch of douchebags Like legit. I called her and I was like man. I'm sorry, I was a kid, I was childish, I was immature, I was a jerk and I shouldn't have done that. I was a kid, I was 19. I didn't know how to handle all this attention from girls at that time. Girls at that time, like you, know what I mean.
Speaker 2:But Dan Lee was the one that rose up to the top and we had in our mind that, yo, we're going to be that couple, go back to the college, and stuff like that. It was going to be like, oh my gosh, pierre and Dan and Lee or Pete and Dan or Pete or Petey, because I had a bunch of names.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, you had a bunch of names.
Speaker 2:I still do have a bunch of names. Well, guys, he's not wanted in different countries companies Pedro you are wanted in different companies.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so I remember calling you that August saying I'm not coming back yep yep, you did, and so you had to come get all your stuff, because you had left stuff up there for when you came back for the fall semester. And now you were not coming back to school. You were going to stay in florida, take a job, continue school in florida, but you were not coming back to ohio. And at that point I was also realizing the thing that I wanted to do next was cosmetology school and that I couldn't afford to do it in Ohio either. So I was actually moving back to Indiana. Yeah, that's wild.
Speaker 1:It was wild. I remember this pivotal moment when I went to eat. It was actually Olive Garden. I went to eat with my mentor at the time in college and I told her, like oh, pierre's not coming back, I'm moving to Indiana, like I'm just. I just told him, you know, stop calling me. I don't remember if this is before me and you had that conversation or not, it was.
Speaker 1:So I kind of told her what I was going to talk to you about and I was like I'm just going to tell him like it's not worth it. We weren't in love at that point, we just liked each other. And I remember her being so blunt with me Like this conversation sticks with me, probably for the rest of my life. She's straight looked at me over the Alfredo sauce and breadsticks and salad and she was like you're a freaking idiot. Yeah.
Speaker 1:And I was like huh. She was like you're a freaking idiot. She was like you had this guy that I had dated at the beginning of my Bible college career and she was like he was this. He was that. He was terrible, he was a liar, he was this and you loved him. Yeah.
Speaker 1:And she was like and now you have this guy standing in front of you, that's everything you've ever prayed for or wanted and you just don't know. She was like you're an idiot. And I remember just being so like shook. I'd never had someone talk to me so bluntly so so blunt straight talk.
Speaker 1:So straight talk. That was the probably the first time that I ever had a leader give me straight talk and I am forever grateful for that conversation. It did change my life. I did still try to tell you to stop talking to me.
Speaker 2:Well, so fast forward.
Speaker 2:I come back up to the college to get all my stuff and to honestly actually what it was is the friend, the friend that I came up to the school with. She was driving back. She was legit a friend friend and she was like one of my high school friends and both her and I was going to the same college and she was like, well, I'm still going back, can you drive me up there? Drive up. So I was like sure it works out, perfect. I jumped in the car with her, drove her up there. We took some crazy detours because she lost track of the map and I fell asleep and I woke up I was like, oh my God, where are we going? We're heading the wrong way. That was the last time I ever let a woman drive me. That was the last time I ever let a woman drive me.
Speaker 1:So there's that. Oh my gosh, that's literally true.
Speaker 2:There's a little bit of truth behind that.
Speaker 1:That is hilarious.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so, anyways, I go back to the college for that first week to get my stuff. You already graduated. So, you're planning on going back to Indiana?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I'm going up to just get my bass guitar, get a few stuff, jump in a flight and go back. So we go out y'all and we get that week. First of all, that week felt like some kind of like teenage movie of like one week with this boy that you like and you may never see him again, like that's what was playing in my head of like you get one more week to spend with him and you will probably never see him again.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so I flew out or I drove out.
Speaker 1:Of course we had a bunch of makeout sessions. All we did was just kiss and make out. Oh my word, it was just like that's just what we did. That was just really it. It was just literally just kissing. So for all y'all young people, it was literally just kissing.
Speaker 2:Straight kissing. That's it, period.
Speaker 1:That's all it was In a car that's, but I remember we went out to dinner one night, tgi Fridays.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was Fridays. It was Fridays. It was before I flew out. We went and grabbed dinner and it was super sad. I remember that night we ate whatever. We hung out. We talked and we just talked about what this could look like, with me going back to Florida and you going back to Indiana.
Speaker 1:And I told you, nothing will bring you to Indiana, nothing will bring me to Florida. So I just think we just let it be what it was and that's it. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Like I just, I just didn't think it was worth the heartbreak of why am I emotional right now Of leaving someone that I liked so much? Like it's okay, like it's only going to make us more heartbroken if we try to do this long distance. So I really felt like I was saying goodbye to you at that moment. Yeah, you were. I cried so hard when I dropped you off at the airport.
Speaker 2:That was the next day, but let's talk about that night still.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:We were there at Friday's eating and we're like man, so I'm going back. You're going back, like what do we do? What do we? And we weren't in love. We just really liked each other and felt like we could be a couple.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And this is we're talking about 16 and a half years ago.
Speaker 1:I can't believe I'm crying right now.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because it was life-changing decisions.
Speaker 1:It was really sad.
Speaker 2:It was a life-changing decision for us. Like we sat right there for us. Like we, we sat right there. And and, by the way, when I went back home that summer, like and I tried to reconcile with my ex-girlfriend I knew she wasn't the one I really enjoyed talking to you. You were the only one that whole summer that I'm like man, I really enjoyed these conversations out of all four or five of them, six, seven, I don't know.
Speaker 1:Just let it be noted I won, that's it.
Speaker 2:Yes, you were the one, and you're still the one, and I remember we sat there and, danny Lee, y'all told me to just stop calling her. Let's just throw in the towel. Let's not even try, let's not even attempt this I just thought we'd only get hurt and I told you no, I was like no, um, here's what we're gonna do.
Speaker 2:You're gonna go back to indiana and pursue your dreams. I'm gonna go back to flor, florida, and pursue my dreams and we're just going to stay in communication, keep talking and if it's God's will, our paths will line up again. Guys, I know this sounds like some type of weird Bible story, but this is real, real life. We made a decision and I said you know what, I know what God put in my heart. I'm going to pursue that. I know God, put something in your heart, pursue that. And if it's God's will, he's the one that writes the story. He'll line it up again.
Speaker 2:Too often I see people trying to be God, people trying to write their own stories and I'm not trying to get all spiritual, but we're spiritual beings and I'm going to say this one of my favorite scriptures and it was my favorite scripture then and it's still my favorite scripture now is Proverbs, chapter three, verse five and six, and it says trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge him and he will direct your path. And I knew that for sure that year. I was like you know what? I'm not going to lean on my own understanding, I'm not going to tell myself. Well, here's how it makes sense to me.
Speaker 2:I said I don't know why God is doing this. I don't know why I'm going left. I don't know why you're going right, but I know that we both are supposed to pursue what God put in our heart. And that's what we did. And in everything that we do we're going to acknowledge him. So I remember saying God I'm going to acknowledge you in this, I'm going to put this in your hand. And it said in all ways, he will direct your path. Or some translations say he'll make your path straight. And that's what happened to us that year. When we sat there that night, I was like we're going to still stay in conversation, stay in communication, and if this is not for us to work it out and God don't want us to work it out the phone calls will stop. It's not like we got to see each other at school.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you were like it'll be really easy to break up with each other across the country.
Speaker 2:I told her that, yeah, I was like yo if it's not going to work out, just going to stop calling each other. It's very simple. But the calls got stronger and stronger, yeah, so you know, and I took you to that airport. So we hung out that night.
Speaker 1:Yep.
Speaker 2:Lots more kissing.
Speaker 1:Yes.
Speaker 2:Long night, 3, 4 o'clock in the morning, took you to the airport.
Speaker 1:I said goodbye to the boy.
Speaker 2:I remember what I wore that day too, you do remember what I wore that day too, you do. I do remember what I wore that day what'd you wear?
Speaker 2:because, you remember, I cut my hair that summer. Yes, so I came back with a low cut. Yes, I was ready that season. I'm like I'm gonna come back with a low cut, all the waves, all that stuff. And I remember that that um day was, I think, of Saturday. You dropped me off at the airport and we held each other for like a long minute. It was a fat minute.
Speaker 1:I do remember that drive to the airport and I remember. Yeah, and I remember pulling over after I dropped you off and I just cried. Yeah. Because I just really felt like I'll never see you again and like it sounds weird at this point, because nowadays, you know, college students just jump on flights Like it's nothing. But our families weren't paying for us to fly back and forth to see each other. Like that wasn't a thing of like. Hey mom, can you send me to Florida to see my boyfriend?
Speaker 2:Like that wasn't like and this is before FaceTime.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:This was. We didn't see each other on a phone in real time. It was you could send me a really tiny, short, pixelated video.
Speaker 1:So pixelated you can barely see it. I think you tried to do that one or two times and I was like I literally can't see anything.
Speaker 2:Can't see it. She would send me pictures and I'm just like, hey, is this you or is this a little Puerto Rican person?
Speaker 1:It was so bad, but I truly felt like which I know people are thinking like oh my God, he's so racist.
Speaker 2:Relax, chill, relax.
Speaker 1:Well, it's because I catfished you she did catfish you. We dated in the season where there was tanning beds. Every white girl was in a tanning bed and if you weren't in a tanning bed, you're getting spray tanned, and actually most of the time white girls were doing both. So I catfished him because I was so tanned then.
Speaker 2:Yo, when I first met Dani Lee, her best friend at that time was a Puerto Rican. And so Dani Lee, apparently I thought was Puerto Rican too, because Dani Lee, every friend that she hangs out with, she started talking like them. So when she was hanging out with a black girl, she's like ooh girl, nah, it's just like, why are you talking like that? And then she started hanging out with a Spanish friend Ooh mamacita, oh mira, I'm like just like, ooh friego, I'm just like what? Like now you?
Speaker 1:like salsa. It's salsa. I like it all.
Speaker 2:To be honest with you, I just love cultures. That's how I met her. I met her with her best friends. I was like, oh. So I was like all right, mama, little mama, all that stuff. You know, matter of fact, that was the. So that was the season after we started hanging out, like that summertime, that late springtime, where I started calling you like little mama and I remember one time like I called Daniley little mama so I'm rewinding and and she was liking it so much and she was like you keep calling that I might have to marry you.
Speaker 1:I sure did, and I didn't think it was like the lightest comment, like it was like the flippest comment, like boy, if you keep calling, I'm going to have to marry you.
Speaker 2:Man, you know you was thinking about marrying me when you said that.
Speaker 1:I was not. I liked you, I know you was putting out a filler. It is a ring. By spring program we were on the fast track. It was that spring.
Speaker 2:This was me rewinding y'all, so make sure y'all go back to part. Make sure you guys go back to part one and watch and listen to actually how we met. Okay.
Speaker 1:So you move away, I move away, I so you move away, I move away, I move back to Indiana start cosmetology school, and we talked on the phone more and more and more and more.
Speaker 2:Yeah, every night after 9 pm. So that Christmas your grandma had a trailer in Florida, yep, so you and your family came down to Florida West Coast Florida where people go to pass away.
Speaker 1:It's called Heaven's Waiting Room.
Speaker 2:Yes, and I was like bet. So we did see each other two times that year, summer, while I was on that tour playing bass. And that Christmas season and you guys, so that Christmas she's in West Coast, florida and seeing her grandma. She's with her family, her mom or dad or brother, and I drove over to come see you. I remember driving over to come see you.
Speaker 1:You actually took me back to the east side with you.
Speaker 2:I did so. I borrowed actually-.
Speaker 1:To meet your family I borrowed my mentor's car. Yep, that was the first time I met your family.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I borrowed my mentor's car to drive over there to come pick you up see your whole family. The craziest thing is man. We're missing so much man. Part one we didn't even mention that time when you was graduating and I met your mom and your dad at graduation earlier that year. Right.
Speaker 2:It was so much and like I remember your dad finding out that I was a bass player you know what I mean. It was so funny, like. So, bro, like we. So that winter I came to hang out with you and I went to drop you off and I remember it was like after Christmas, the two days before New Year's Eve, like December 28th or 29th or something like that New Year's Eve like December 28th or 29th or something like that.
Speaker 2:And we're hanging out and you told me you wanted to be my girlfriend and I was like, nah, next question. Nah, I'm playing. No, you were not Next question. I was like that's cool. Nah, you actually probably did say that. Like that's cool. No.
Speaker 1:You actually probably did say that You're so dry. Yeah. Such a lack of response in moments like that.
Speaker 2:I think I was probably like you know. I want you to be too.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so that's when we became official, even though we were long distance.
Speaker 2:December 2007 is when we became an official item.
Speaker 1:Wow and then February of 2008,. You made my dreams come true.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, I surprised you the next year. I surprised you for Valentine's day and I think your mom picked me up from the airport. She was in on it and that's when she started crushing on me.
Speaker 1:Yes, and I would be like Tammy, he, you are married and he is here for me. She'd be like, but he's so cute, and he's here for me, she's like, but he's so cute and he's so funny.
Speaker 2:That's funny. Yeah, yeah, I do be. I do be hitting them jokes. I do be having them jokes.
Speaker 1:And then that was the time you played with my dad's bass, and that was when he realized how good of a bass player you really were.
Speaker 2:So then your dad started crushing on me. So then your dad started okay so then, that may is when I graduated cosmetology school so honestly that january um my church at the time we were writing out like our oh yeah self visions and we were writing out january, oh eight.
Speaker 2:we're writing out, like what do we want god to do this year? What are some things that we're believing for? What are some things that we're going to claim? State your claim.
Speaker 2:Like my, you know my pastor at the time, which he was my pastor growing up through my teenage years. He was the one that I was like. I learned so much, I got filled with the spirit of God. That was where I got the call to go into ministry. Like that was my, that was my foundation, church and pastor. I owe him so much man, I'm so grateful for him.
Speaker 2:And that year was the year that he was teaching us like how to write it down. That's where I first learned how to like write it down, right at the vision. And that January I remember I didn't tell you till a long time after that I wrote down your name was like I want to know God if she is the one for me. I was so adamant because, like, I don't play with my relationship with God and so to me I'm like God, if this is not you, I don't want it. If it's you, I want it. So I was like God, I need to know. If she's the one, let me know. Let me know. I didn't know till about I think maybe like March, but that was January, so I was praying for it. I had it written down. Like I need to know is Dan and Lee, the one is I had your name written down.
Speaker 2:February, I came to surprise you at your little cosmetology school, you know. Um, that was a good time hanging out with you and your family. It was sad to leave Yo. Actually, if you guys go on our Instagram, there's pictures of our first Valentine's day together. That's 08, 16 years ago. That was our first Valentine's day together. Um, so there's pictures going on Instagram. If you haven't followed already, it's on Facebook too as well. Um, which is so cool. And then March March or April is when I heard God tell me she's the one, she's yours.
Speaker 1:That's crazy, and you literally had a word from God about it. Mine wasn't the same, but I knew it's hard to describe, but I just knew there was something different about our relationship. I would almost describe it as this peace between us that it just felt right and I know that's a bad description of it. That it just felt right, and I know that's a bad description of it, but it just felt right. And that didn't mean that we didn't fight, because we did. We had arguments, we had disagreements. We imagine this is the beginning of Danny Lee and Pierre, south Florida Haitian boy and a country fed white girl from Indiana, realizing how different our cultures are, realizing how different our cultures are, realizing how different our backgrounds are. And so there were arguments and there were fights, but there was just something different that it never became. Maybe we're not the right fit.
Speaker 2:Maybe, we're not like that never came into our arguments.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we were always pursuing each other, while doing long distance and maintaining our relationship with God and what he's put in our arguments. Yeah, we were always pursuing each other while doing long, long distance and maintaining our relationship with God and what he's put in our heart and I think maybe this is a conversation for a whole nother day of like dating to marry, like dating leading it to marriage, because we were dating with the intention of looking for the person to marry, but we weren't trying to fit each other in that box. I think a lot of people make the mistake is like once they find someone, they start dating someone and they're going to try to shape them to be the one that they marry. We weren't doing that. We were just generally dating with the intention of hoping and pursuing that this is the person. And so I remember when I just knew you were the one I was and let's go on record for you guys who don't believe me to be an emotional person I was the first one to tell Danny Lee that I love you.
Speaker 1:And I was scared, and so I wrote back. I-l-u-v-u.
Speaker 2:Do you remember that season? Yeah, you love me I was Like what's L-U-V I?
Speaker 1:would only say I-L-U-V, because I did love him as a person, but I was so scared to say I was in love with him and we were long distance Y'all.
Speaker 2:Man, if you can date someone long distance and tell them you love them over the phone, that right there is true love yeah.
Speaker 1:And I was the first one to tell you I love you and I think there's so much to say, you know. So how did we know? We were the ones, like you, had a word from the Lord. I could tell that there was something different about our relationship. And then we both had mentors in our life that were saying like, yes, yes, like this is the person, if they, if you feel this, like they weren't saying, um, you know, even as us being in the, in the position of mentors now in this, in our age group, right, we've got some people that we mentor, we speak into, and like we would never say, yep, that's the person for you or no, that's not the person for you. We would guide them in hey, does this line up with what you see for your life? Hey, what do you think about these? But we both had people, multiple people, in our lives, encouraging our relationship and saying it does look like a godly relationship. It does seem like you guys are a good fit together. Your families are supportive and love each other.
Speaker 2:You know, like we and that was just another way of us knowing that it was we were the ones so here we have a year distance from when we met each other and a year later where we're like I think she's the one Several months later to like I knew she's the one. Now there's more to the story, right, the following year, you know there's so much more in oh like. Later on that year God opened up doors for you to move down to Florida. But I remember so that whole spring when we're over the phone. That whole summer we're still over the phone. There was something special about our connection. It really was different.
Speaker 2:Because we knew now we're dating the person we're going to marry, so my eyes and my thoughts were no longer at that point on other girls. So that's how. I pivoted in my mind To me. I'm like my options are closed now, even though you're my girlfriend at the time and.
Speaker 2:I didn't play around and call her my wifey. I tell young guys that all the time and I tell young girls that all the time the ones that we're mentoring I'm like, hey, don't call him your hubby, he's not your hubby. Don't call her your wifey, she's not your wifey. Yeah, but I want to marry that person Absolutely. But the wife and husband, man, that is a covenant between God. It's a calling when you get anointed to say, hey, now this person is your better half, your other person that you were called together for better or for worse, right In sickness and in health, right. So to me I'm like I want to preserve that and keep that sacred. And to that moment you officially become my wife before God, not just before the law, not just we can go to the court and sign some papers, yeah, According, legally we're married. But there's a difference getting married before the Lord, and that was so.
Speaker 2:That was special to me that summer where like yo, she's my girlfriend and I love her and she's the one. So from that moment on now, we started, you know, cultivating, fostering everything about our relationship, even though we were still long distance. Right, we managed all that. And several months later, yep, right, we managed all that, and several months later, god opened up doors for our paths. Y'all this is crazy to line up again, like literally. It was like God was like okay, now you guys are ready, doors opened up. You moved down to Florida, you had a place to stay, you had a job waiting for you and crazy thing is what?
Speaker 1:you was 21 21, starting a new career as a hairstylist. It's wild.
Speaker 2:It's a wild, that's wild. But people say yo, how did you guys do that? I remember. Now, here I am, this is wild. Here I am a whole year later, 2008 fall time, flying out to kokomo, indiana, to drive you down to West Palm Beach, florida.
Speaker 1:So, all in all, you really just went to Bible college to find me. I did. It was like you were only there for one semester and it was only so that our paths would cross, and I a hundred percent believe that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and here we are, all these years later, I still love you. You're still the one I choose to love you, because love, the feeling of lust, the feeling of goo-goo, gaga, cloud nine, that stuff fades away it comes and goes At this point. It's a choice and I choose to say you're the one that I'm going to continue to love. I still remember those days when we first met. I still remember those days when we first met. I still remember the days where I'm just like yo she's the one and you're still the one.
Speaker 2:We went through some tough times where I'm like man, I don't think she the one anymore. I don't think she the one anymore. It's so true, this one right here, lord, just like Adam said to God, it's the woman, god, that you gave me. You guys see all these grays kicking in in my beard right now, the sparkles are coming through. No, it's the glory of God. Right there it's the sparkles Okay. But you're the one, you're the one, you're the one that I love. It's crazy man.
Speaker 1:It's crazy. It's been such a wild ride and I'm so grateful that we get to share this story. And there's so much more we could dive into. We could dive RV parked in somebody's backyard with the little baby cockroaches not the big ones, but the little ones. There's so much.
Speaker 2:There's some topics of like things to do while dating, dating to marry. There's another conversation to have of like dating the one dating the one Right. There's differences, like when you're just dating, knowing that you're looking for the one, and there's when you're dating the one, and you know they're the one. Because there's different stuff that we have to apply For sure.
Speaker 2:Merging families, merging my friends, all those type of things. But listen y'all. We love you guys. Thank you for jumping in on all these conversations. Again, we want to know if these conversations are bringing you value, if you wouldn't mind, on YouTube, hitting that like button, if you wouldn't mind if this is Apple, if this is Google, if it's Spotify. Just writing a little review, it really helps us and, honestly, it really helps the algorithm and all the analytics. It helps push it out to other people that will find value from these conversations too as well. So we love you guys. We want to encourage you guys to keep on digging. Life gets better when relationships do Relationships with God, relationships with others and relationships with yourself. Let's dig, let's dig.
