There is no age limit on finding true love
Who knew a wrong turn could end up being so right? When Sheri and Wayne tell their story it’s like a Hallmark Movie. I know you will love hearing it as much as I did.
Sheri was very drawn suddenly to move to Galveston about four years ago, right about the time Wayne had relocated to Galveston to start the next chapter of his life.
He was working as a police officer for the Port, and fate took it from there. On Friday April 13th, 2018 (they say is the luckiest day) Sheri made the 4 hour drive to come and look at a few condos to
possibly start the next chapter of her life.
It had been a long stressful day and she was trying to find a place to relax and enjoy a nice dinner. Sheri had made a wrong turn as she pulled in to the parking lot of Fisherman’s Wharf which is connected
to the cruise terminal where Wayne was working. This day he was on duty controlling traffic and that is when he flagged her down because she was trying to go the wrong way on a one way road.
He walked over to her not knowing who to expect to see and then their eyes met, and they both said they felt an instant connection. Like boom! in the heart.
She was so embarrassed and upset she was trapped in a line of cars, frustrated people trying to get around her that she got emotional. Sheri told me Wayne leaned over, softly smiled at her and told
her everything’s alright. I will help you get out of here.
Sheri said at that moment the whole world was spinning around her in chaos, but suddenly she was calm and all she could see and hear was Wayne and her heart beat.
Wayne said, her eyes were more beautiful than the ocean, and he thought if the eyes are the window to the soul, her soul must be amazing.
They snapped out of the gaze and he stopped traffic for her. She turned her car around facing the exit, but before she pulled away she could not help but look at him in her rear view mirror. She stretched
her hand out of the window, smiled and waved as she whispered, “goodbye officer cutie pie”.
He took a long slow breath and just realized he assisted this mysterious, beautiful woman out of the parking lot and out of his life! He assumed that fate provided him an opportunity and he had missed it.
When fate has a plan, nothing gets in the way
Fast forward two weeks…
Sheri was back home four hours away from Wayne, where she ran a nonprofit for those living with a medical condition called Hydrocephalus. She was on Facebook checking on an update from a lady who
became a friend who had a little boy that has hydrocephalus and was very sick at the time. That’s when she was shocked to see a get well wish in the comments from Officer Cutie Pie! Her heart was
pounding and her mind was racing as she looked at his tiny profile picture, which was hard to believe she could even see it was him. They both laugh when she talked about this moment and Facebook
stalking him.
She could not believe the man she fondly called Officer Cutie Pie was named Wayne Swartz. Sheri quickly reached out to her friend to see how she knew Wayne. And as ‘fate would have it’ they were all
mutual friends connected by the little boy living with hydrocephalus. About a month before, he had met Linda through other mutual friends there in Galveston and became friends. It was no accident Wayne
says, smiling. We both know God had a hand in all this. That night Sheri could not stand it any longer, and sent a private message to Wayne on Facebook. It was a little after 11:00 PM, when he got off
duty and saw the message. He was in shock and elated. He decided to send a message to the mutual friend asking if she knew Sheri. He said, our friend ‘Linda’ gave us both raving reviews and was so
excited for us to become friends. So, I responded to her message. I was trying to be cool, but truly I waited on pins and needles. I could not believe this was the blue eyed beauty I thought I’d never see
again.
Sheri says, I recall the moment with chills as I think of the “ding” when Wayne wrote me back. I was thrilled, scared, excited, and wanted to hide all at the same time! However, we
began talking and both amazed about the day we met, and now to have the connection with a mutual friend. We both felt like the stars aligned and our hearts were drawn together like two pieces
of a puzzle waiting to be put together. We were addicted to each other, they both laughed. We began texting all day and night. Then advanced to phone calls. And we quickly realized after ten days, we
had to see each other again and see if this was real. Sheri drove back to Galveston two weeks to the day they first laid eyes on each other. We decided to meet at the Pleasure Pier, which quickly expanded
to a first date that was magical. We explored Galveston together, had a wonderful meal at Pier 21, took a dolphin boat ride, toured the oil museum, but the best thing we did is talk and laugh a lot.
Sheri chimed in, oh, and we danced on the seawall with cars passing by. Yes, it was a little like a Disney movie. We found out we had so much in common. We both love the ocean, all kinds of music,
dancing, playful sarcasm, going to the movies and eating way to much popcorn, just to name a few things. We discovered we could have entire conversations in song lyrics. But, the home-run was to find
out she is a baseball girl! I thought who is the woman?
Over the past four years I have been blessed to discover she is my best friend, my girlfriend, my finance, my person and the love of my life, all perfectly blended together. Sheri smiles with a tear in her
eyes, and says thank you for loving me Officer Cutie Pie. I am so blessed to call you mine and to marry you. We have a song we both treasure that really speaks to us.
It’s called “For The First time, For The Last time” because we truly are in love for the first time and it will be the last time.
Some may say it’s sad that it took 50 plus years to find your person. But, we say thank God we did, because so many never do.
We are so incredibly thankful to God, fate, Friday the 13th and a wrong turn!
Sheri & Wayne
Our forever begins June 11, 2022
Galveston, Texas