Al & Donna's Love Story

I’m a 42 year old man married to my sweetheart for 7 ½ years.  When I think back about how I met my beautiful wife, I often wonder how everything in the universe had to align perfectly that evening.  So many details had to be in order for us to meet.  My big sister Dee has been so instrumental in shaping me into who I am today and I joke around with her and let her know that she’s responsible for the 2 things i love most in life, baseball & Donna—with the later having more of my heart.  It was a freezing cold night in January and my sister and I lived in the same building (a 2 family home). 

She was on her way to the Bayonne High School Ice Rink where she worked security for the public sessions and had a friend who worked there, a quiet, hard working, beautiful blonde...Donna!  Well, I had been feeling a little down and out for a multitude of reasons and not in the mood for anyone or anything, but as big sisters often do, she had the upper hand and told me to dust off my ice skates.  Of course I hemmed and hawed, after all, how could I possibly give up an evening of The Munsters, Leave I t To Beaver, Gun Smoke and The Andy Griffith Show?  Well, TV-Land had to be put on pause that night...(remember everything had to align!) 

At the Ice Rink my sister had mentioned to Donna that she had a brother that was single and that she wanted to introduce her to me.  Donna had no idea that I was actually at the rink the night I met her. (Dee didn’t give her fair warning!)  So, I awkwardly laced up my skates (it had been a while) I asked Dee to point out this ‘blonde’ that she was so eager for me to meet.  There she was...center ice, showing a little 4 year old the finer details of a snow-plow stop.  As this little girl stopped, that was the moment in time I’ll never forget...my heart felt alive!! I turned to Dee and said, “You’re kidding, right?  That girl is single!?”

It took a little courage to finally skate over and start a conversation, but I did it.  And Tuesday nights became a ritual for me and I just ‘had’ to go skating because Donna was there!!

That was 10 years ago, 1997, and I remember being unemployed and actually had to borrow Dee’s car for our first official date.  I took Donna to a Japanese Steak House and recall telling her that I hope I don’t embarrass myself because I can really eat!!

That’s the basic story of how I began to fall in love and it was exactly 1 year to the date that I asked Donna if we could celebrate our first anniversary of dating each other at the ice rink.  It was that night that I met Donna at center ice, dropped to one knee and asked for her hand in marriage.  She had no idea it was going to happen and I had a few close friends and family sneak in to witness one of the most amazing moments of my life!

I can’t say that this is the story of how I fell in love with Donna, because the story is just beginning for us!  My sister Dee (to this day) continues to remind me how much I owe her...that debt can never be paid!!