10 Incredible “How They Met” Stories That Defy All Odds.

5. They were just friends.

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(1/2) “We met when we were 16 in a liquor store parking lot- a popular hangout for high schoolers. I was sitting in the passenger seat of my friend’s car when Andrew peeked his head in. “Hi,” he said. “Hi,” I blushed. His long hair and chestnut eyes made my stomach drop. The next day we became friends on Facebook and started talking, but it was never anything more than a friendly conversation because I had a boyfriend. We remained friends all throughout high school. He would joke about us being meant to be, but always respected my relationship. After high school, he moved to Colorado and I went away to school. We would catch up on the phone every so often and update each other on life. He would tell me about the mountains and invite me to visit, but I would always kindly decline. My junior year, I ended the 5 year relationship with my high school sweetheart and began dating someone new. Andrew and I lost touch for years after that. My summer going into senior year, I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder. It became so severe that I was unable to return back to school in the fall. While all my friends were going back to finish up senior year, I was fighting my way through a new diagnosis that I felt completely defenseless to. To top it off, my boyfriend who I had been dating for a year and a half at the time suddenly ended our relationship. I was devastated and heartbroken. Everything I knew in life had changed. People I knew suddenly felt like strangers. My own mind felt like it was turning on me. I was terrified. The only thing that made me feel safe was my ex and I no longer had him to lean on. I guess when your world is spinning, you fail to realize that others get dizzy from watching you. That even your life raft can sink beneath your weight. I spent a full year after that on a journey to self recovery. On the one year anniversary of my breakup, I decided to get a tattoo to represent managing my struggles with mental health. It says, “You are your best thing” in my mother’s handwriting. Not even an hour after the appointment, I ran into an unexpected old friend on the street. I could spot those chestnut eyes from a mile away. Andrew.”

A photo posted by The Way We Met (@thewaywemet) on Jan 30, 2016 at 11:49am PST