Blake and Jennifer Celebrate Their 17th Anniversary!
Today is the day that the Lord has made, and we each have blessings to receive. Jennifer and I like to celebrate our wedding anniversaries and recently had one to celebrate. Our Heavenly Father has answered so many prayers in my life, and today we’re focused on one of those real life-changing answered prayers. I recall praying to God that I would find a kind, loving wife like Jennifer has been over the past 17 years. I promised to be a faithful, loving husband which has been easy because of being blessed with a great soul mate.
About 20 years ago, while living in North Texas and employed with 106.1 KISS-FM Dallas Fort Worth, I got a nice surprise I’ll never forget. A letter addressed to me was placed in my mailbox prior to my Saturday and Sunday shifts. I was excited to know what the note had to say. Jennifer Gable, a longtime listener of my radio show, was the writer. She did not know this DJ was totally blind and since I could not read her letter, I asked Heather to do the honors. Though I could not see Heather’s face, I could tell by the excitement in my assistant’s voice as she read it to me that this letter was a keeper. I soon found out that Jennifer was also a keeper!
In the letter, Jennifer told me about herself, including her occupation, the high school she graduated from just four years prior, and the reasons she enjoyed tuning in every weekend. I worked at Bank of America Monday through Friday to support my broadcast addiction as I like to say. At that time, Jennifer was a six-year listener to my show. I was excited that she exerted extra effort composing such a nice keepsake letter. Her note changed our lives and will be kept close to my heart for the rest of my life.
Full of intrigue and excitement, I quickly dictated a response through Heather. I didn’t mind if her handwriting looked feminine, I wanted to respond. Jennifer and I soon began talking on the phone. I decided to inform her during our first conversation, that I am totally blind. Sometimes I chuckle in thinking maybe I should have waited for her to observe that in person like I have done in some job interviews over the past 37 years. Jennifer is fully sighted and I’m happy that my blindness didn’t bother her a bit.
Within a few weeks of chatting, we decided to meet in person. My friend Jason drove me to meet Jennifer. Her open-mindedness made me want to roll out the red carpet, to leave a fun memory that Jennifer could always treasure. We had dinner at Chili’s restaurant for our first date. Jason was very enthusiastic about driving us. He was excited about seeing Jennifer and I together. He probably didn’t mind a good well-deserved free meal as a little extra motivation for serving as the evening’s chauffeur. I’m eternally grateful to him for his help in getting us together. In due course that event turned out to be even more meaningful than I could have imagined.
Our ride to the restaurant was exciting as we became acquainted with one another. Jennifer quickly noticed I was “handi-capable,” thank goodness, and not handicapped. She showed an interest in seeing me again, and we soon began dating regularly on Saturday nights.
On Sundays, we began attending church together. We could both feel our friendship strengthening. Our conversations became more frequent and deeper. She was very considerate, which was easy to observe and appreciate.
Jennifer and I quickly realized that we shared many of the same ideals and hobbies. We discovered we both enjoyed similar music. Her tastes were amazingly broad. Since first meeting, she has exposed me to many classic movie tunes and oldies I had never heard before—even gospel artists who I now thoroughly enjoy listening to.
I had never proposed marriage before and had never been an eye-witness to the proper procedures. So, I called my longtime friend Johnny and asked him about the number of knees required to kneel during a proposal. After a chuckle, he told me one knee was all I would need. I took his advice.
It was New Year’s Eve 2001, and I had great hopes for how 2002 was going to begin. Jennifer and I went to dinner at Antonio’s restaurant with some true friends whom I had let in on the secret earlier that day. I was extremely eager for midnight to arrive. The clock finally struck the magic hour, and I bent down on one knee and asked Jennifer the anticipated question I had been carrying around with me all day. There was complete assurance in her unhesitant, “Yes!”
I learned later that she was beginning to wonder whether I would ever ask her or not, and all these years later I’m delighted I did indeed.
Jennifer and I were married at First Baptist Church of Carrollton on March 29, 2003. I thank God for her every day. I am also thankful for my broadcasting career, which was instrumental in partnering me with my soul mate. Our music library grows a little larger every year, and we really enjoy the hobby of bringing it together from CDs that we own, including several of the “Best of the Best” collections. We also enjoy making Christmas compilation CDs and giving them out with Christmas cards to our family and friends.
With Jennifer in my life, I receive more pleasure than ever. We set goals together and do our best to achieve them. She shares with me what she sees in our world every day, which enables me to realize that the life we have and the world we live in are simply amazing.
Jennifer knows how to give me excellent visual insight with just a few words. She not only has a wonderful knack for describing scenery, but also enjoys helping me maximize my pleasure from the movies we see together. Many times during a film, there is often silence, and visual dialogue is taking place. Jennifer quickly fills in those blanks with a quick nutshell whisper, never distracting anyone near us.
While we are driving, Jennifer reads the signs and billboards to me. She colorfully explains our surroundings and what businesses there are in unfamiliar areas. She describes what the sky looks like when it is especially beautiful or unique with a storm approaching. We have taken a number of memorable vacations, including our very first Carnival cruise vacation to Cozumel and Progresso, Mexico.
Wow! Did I ever enjoy a clear visual perspective of those magnificent sights that surrounded us because of her alert and caring explanations. I saw everything I wanted to see through her eyes.
Another example of her terrific insight is her interpretation of TV commercials. It is very common for today’s TV commercials to be silent or have music but few words. Jennifer explains these kinds of commercials to me in probably five seconds. This brings a smile to my face when I imagine some of the visual humor and creativity in selling. I always want to tell advertising agencies, “Don’t forget about people who can’t see your ad and may want to purchase your products!”
I’m grateful that God put Jennifer and I together right through her FM radio.