Meeting Rick

The year was 1997.  Some big changes were in store for me and my family.  Just how far-reaching those changes would be, I had no idea.

My daughter was entering kindergarten.  I had been very fortunate to be a stay-at-home Mom while my kids were small, but now it was time for me to figure out what to do with myself.  Not only to finally make a financial contribution, but to see what I was interested in doing.  Not much income to being a homemaker.

I decided that I would look into a job at Pier 1 Imports.  After all, who doesn't like Pier 1?  On a whim, I called the store closest to me.  A lady named Deb answered the phone.  The ripple had begun.

She said, "This is so weird!  I just had someone give their notice for the hours you can work.  Can you come in and fill out an application?"  We set up a time to meet.

A few days later, I went to the store.  I felt no nervousness at all, even though it had been years since I had applied for a job.  I met Deb and we hit it off right away. She is funny, edgy, strong and creative.  I immediately felt at ease, comfortable in the atmosphere there.  I knew I had found a fit.  I filled out the application as we chatted, and she said she'd be in touch.

Long story short, I got the job.  Deb told me when I called a few days later, "I think you're cool and I'm going to hire you."  We became fast friends.

Fast-forward several years.  Deb and I remained friends, even as she changed jobs and changed back again; even as I became separated and moved into an apartment of my own.  As I was learning how to make my way alone in the world, Deb had taken a job at Wild Oats Market.

She called me one day to ask if I'd be interested in a position at Wild Oats.  Right up my alley, more pay and once again working with my friend.  It wasn't immediately attractive to me...long commute, lots of transition for me personally.  But that Deb, she's persuasive!  I applied and got the job as 'Mercantile Goddess'.

The move to this new position came draped in turmoil.  I was overwhelmed with all the change in my life, and extremely concerned about my brand-new nephew, Evan, born very prematurely.  I went into a tailspin.  Almost 3 weeks of blank nothingness followed.  My Mom was worried and thought maybe I'd bitten off more than I could chew with the new job.  I gave it some thought but ultimately soldiered through and stayed at Wild Oats.  To catch the next wave of ripples, I can see now.  Since, having beat my struggles and hung in there, I met Rick.

Deb introduced us, naturally.  Being that I am pretty good at customer service, I had helped Rick at the store.  He often had breakfast or lunch there and we'd occasionally greet one another.  Eventually, I began doing my paperwork with him as he ate his breakfast.  We became friends, and of course, so much more.  In October, 2004, we began dating.

Today is our 3rd wedding anniversary.  Rick and I were married late in the afternoon on the beach in Connecticut.  My kids and my parents were there.  We are as much in love today as we were then, even more so.  And we owe so much of it to the ripples that Deb put into play.

Had she not seen something in me and hired me, had we not shared so much fun and creativity together, had we lost touch when she left Pier 1 for another job, had we drifted when I was learning how to live alone, had I backed out of the Mercantile Goddess position when I fell into that depression, had Deb not encouraged me to start eating and smiling again, had I been a Yankee fan and uninterested in 'the Red Sox guy', had any of these things changed...well, who knows?