Your Stories

Blackwater Falls State Park, 1584 Blackwater Lodge Rd, Davis, WV 26260, USA on the 14th of September, 2018, at 7:00pm

By Joanna S

My life had been shattered before when my wife tragically and unexpectedly passed away.

After the passage of some time, I reached out to an old high school friend about a recipe she had posted on social media. That recipe was the start of the formation of a beautiful friendship. As we talked, I learned that three and a half years ago, her life fell apart when her then-husband confessed to having an extramarital affair with her closest friend.
Her divorce has shattered her heart and her trust in others. We would spend hours texting or talking on the phone about our lives, our journeys and of course, our children. Our friendship became healing to both of us and we started spending more time together. As our friendship grew stronger, she met my son for the first time at Blackwater Falls State Park in April 2018.
She had suggested I take him there for a weekend trip to soak in nature and escape the stress of life and loss. I insisted she drive up for the day after her son's spring football game so that she could meet my son and find an escape for herself for a few hours. We had an amazing time. (As a side note I met her son a few months later when she felt he was ready). We returned to Blackwater Falls several times over the spring, summer, and fall of 2018 where we enjoyed hiking and taking in the beauty of the great State of West Virginia.
Our favorite spot became Lindy Point, an absolutely gorgeous overlook above the Blackwater Canyon. It was at Lindy Point in May 2018 that we both realized we had fallen in love with one another; however, neither of us would reveal our love to the other right away.
We returned to Blackwater Falls State Park and our beloved Lindy Point on September 14, 2018. While taking in the scenery, I turned to the woman who had not only become my best friend and healed my heart, but had become the woman I had fallen completely in love with. As we stood in our spot, I expressed my love for her (and her son). I expressed to her that she was my future and that I would be honored if she would marry me so that we could spend the rest of our lives loving each other.

She said "yes." We will return to Blackwater Falls State Park on June 15, 2019, to get married among the mountains where we fell in love surrounded by our children and our closest family and friends.