ometimes, the most unexpected, wonderful, and amazing things happen. There is no explanation of how or why, just that it does and often your life is changed forever. So it has been with me. I have been living in a faery tale and I can tell you that it is the most wonderful experience of my life. Faery tales do come true and if it is all a dream, then I truly never ever want to wake up.......

Most of you that have known me for awhile know some of the things that have darkened my world in the past. At times it really was a struggle to keep going. Being in a wheelchair for 3 months with injuries from a near fatal vehicle accident didn't help either. But then, imperceptibly, without my realizing it, someone came into my life who has made a profound change in my world and I will never be the same. One that is too wonderful to be real, yet is real, and I will be forever grateful that she chose to spend her life with me.

Her name is Lieve (pronounced: leave-a). She has adopted the name Gwynnevere, a name made from my last name, Gwynn, and the rest for "ever-e". But unlike the legendary Guinevere, she is steadfast in her love, devotion, and fidelity. A most refreshing change to what I have known in the past. She is truly the kindest, most caring, and genuinely giving person I have ever known. Her warmth, tenderness, and genuine love is a delight to behold and I thank God that she chose to give it to me. All who meet her immediately sense her genuinness and her caring, and all find her simply adorable.

To say the odds of our even meeting were astronomical is a definite understatement. I still cannot believe it yet myself, but meet we did and through, at least to me, a very unique way. As most of you know, I have a Castle mailing list. Well, this Lady from Belgium wrote me and asked me to add her to the list. This I did. She had been directed to the Castle by a friend of mine, Dandalf of Dandalf the Dragon fame. She was looking for information on Celtic subjects, and being of Welsh ancestry and having a lot of stuff on Celtic topics as well as a Celtic webring, he directed her to my site. I will be eternally grateful to him for pointing her in my direction.

We began to correspond on general historical and celtic subjects and wrote for several months. Just ordinary e-mail, unremarkable in any way. Then something changed. I am not sure exactly when, since it was so subtle and so slight a difference that neither of us can put our finger on it now, but we began to became more than just internet friends. Very slowly, a deep friendship began to emerge and before long that friendship had turned into love. A love like I have never known and that you only read about in faery tales. Had it not happened to me, I too would still think it impossible.

We established immediately that our growing relationship would be based on honesty, truth, and trust or we would not have one. We have both had our share of deceit, infidelity, and indifference. Our relationship was either going to succeed or fail based on absolute honesty, commitment, and loyalty. Nothing was taboo to talk about, nothing too bad not to shared, nothing hidden or secret. There were to be no skeletons in the closet and no surprises. If the relationship was to grow, it MUST be based on absolute and total honesty. She felt as I did, that without this pre-commitment, neither of us wanted to take the risk of being hurt again, for without it, there really is no basis for a relationship. We had to be able to tell each other anything and everything, to be totally aware of each other and of our shortcomings, our faults, and our failures. It is the way all relationships should start.

As the time passed, the love deepened. Lieve had told me things that no one has ever known and the same with me. She shared her pain and rough times and here dreams, as I shared mine with her. We both soon realized that because of what we both had suffered, we both knew that we were both determined to never make the same misstates again. We both had learned, the hard way, what was important and what wasn't.

Most relationships begin when you meet someone and are physically attracted to them. Then you get to know them. But often, your eyes deceive you and though the wrapper may be beautiful, that doesn't mean the contents are. Many times the greatest prize of all is wrapped in the plainest paper. The trick it to see through the wrapping and find the treasure hidden there. That is how Lieve and I fell in love. I knew I loved her before I ever saw her face. I loved the person she was, her values, her desires, her honesty, and she loved mine. When I finally got a picture of her, I couldn't believe it. Not only had I received the greatest prize of all, it was also wrapped in the most beautiful paper. She was gorgeous and I was even more amazed than ever that this beautiful woman wanted to spend her life with me.

She decided to come for a visit and we met in person in March 1999. To say it was love at first sight would not be wholly true, since we already loved each other before we met. But it did confirm to both of us that what we had been feeling, the flutters and the longing, were really there. We really DID love each other. I have never enjoyed anytime in my life as much as I did then. She was the Lady of my dreams and I was happy beyond words. It was like a dream, but it was real.

I went to Belgium in April to visit her and meet her family. If you ever get a chance to visit Belgium, please do. It is a beautiful country and the people are warm, genuine, and friendly. I met her family and was immediately made welcome. Her family accepted me completely and made me feel right at home. They really made my trip to Belgium one that I will never forget and I am looking forward to visiting them again as often as possible.

When Lieve came back in June, she and I went to visit my family, and they too fell in love with her and welcomed her into the family. It all has been so wonderful, it is like it was destined to be. Like Lieve and I are soul mates, connected in a way which both of us can feel, yet cannot explain, but are eternally grateful for. For it truly seems as though we share a bond that most people never know. One that only comes true in faery tales.

Lieve seems to think that the number 9 is an important number, so to surprise her and make use of this, we were married at 9:00 a.m. on September 9, 1999. 9 a.m. on 9-9-99. I couldn't do any better than that. She was delighted and the most beautiful bride I have ever seen. She truly glowed. She is the light of my life and the most precious thing in the world to me. I have been truly blessed that she chose me. She is my Lady.

Well, there you have it. Lieve and I are living a faery tale and it is truly wonderful. I wanted to believe this was possible, but until it happened to me, I never thought it would or could. But it has. If you would like to see them, I wrote several things for Lieve and we would like to share them with you if you would like to see them. I wrote this to Lieve in February. She asked me to write her some poetry. Not being a poet, I gave it a shot and wrote two for her. She loved them both. The first you can see here. The second one is here, along with a picture of us together, taken on my visit to Belgium in April. A most beautiful and wonderful day in spring. One I will never, ever forget.......