As my birthday approaches next week so does the day that I met Erik. I met him the day after my 21st birthday. I always told him getting to meet him was my late, but amazing life-changing birthday gift. Although, I did think my birthday was on the 28th of August for 13 years of my life (story for another day), so we ended up celebrating that day as my second birthday and the day we came into each other’s lives. This got me thinking about how our story began and reflecting on everything since. When we were setting up our wedding website we sat down together and reminisced about how we met. How it felt like everything fell into place, how crazy it was that we both ended up there at that exact date and time, how it truly was fate. He ended up writing a short blurb of our love story from his viewpoint for the site. He then created this into a picture book that he started reading to the twins before their bedtime.
I have re-read this story a lot since his passing. But almost every day now leading up to the anniversary of when we met. This was him telling our story from his lens:
Once upon a time at the DMV…
The overall consensus of having to go to the DMV is incredibly dreadful for the majority of sane individuals. That is in fact why Erik decided to hold off as long as he could on going to the DMV to switch his Illinois driver’s license to a California one. After several emails and threats from Erik’s HR to obtain a California license, he decided to schedule an appointment with the local Long Beach DMV to legally become a California driver.
While impatiently waiting in line, Erik thought to himself…”what is the purpose of making an appointment with the DMV and also having to wait in an hour long line?” During this thought, he noticed something completely out of the ordinary. Erik noticed there was a girl wearing cowboy boots and an outfit like she was either going to a party, or coming back from one. At this point, Erik was intrigued and took an interest in finding out who this fascinating person was in front of him. While trying to figure out who this mysterious girl was, Erik noticed something even more out of the ordinary. The girl wearing cowboy boots at 10:00 AM in the middle of the week was the most beautiful Asian girl he had ever seen. Erik knew that this opportunity would never present itself again and felt compelled to say hello.
Erik was in a dilemma. He was a few people behind this beautiful girl and was not sure how to get her attention without coming off as a creep. He was thinking, “who meets a girl at a state-level government agency that administers vehicle registration and driver licensing.” Thinking this, he thought the safest play would be to ask for a pen even though he had one in his blazer pocket. Erik noticed that mystery girl had just finished using her pen and had to make his move. “Excuse me, would you mind if I borrowed your pen?” Erik asked. As she turns around ready to respond, a random man offered Erik to borrow his pen. Erik politely declined and said, “No thank you, I would like to borrow her pen”. Mystery girl smiled and let the people between them go in front of her so she could engage in a conversation with Erik.
After a sixty minute conversation in line, Erik Mosson met Diana Phan. The rest was history.
Although this is the second year I am going through the anniversary of when we met since his death, it still hasn’t gotten any easier. That first year just blew past. I didn’t give it much thought because I didn’t want to give anything much thought. Every inch of my body and mind was suffering, yet I was numb at the same time. This year is much different. I am more aware of what is happening and the pain that accompanies it, but with none of the numbness. I am more aware of all of these dates and the memories that come with them. I am more aware that there are no more chapters to be written with him in it, but realizing at the same time that this is our love story and although he may physically be gone now, that story still lives on in me and still shows through our twins.
