The very first place that I lived when I moved to Ottawa was room 1301 of Thompson Hall.  It was a corner room in residence that overlooked the canal and contained more freedom than I had ever known in my entire life.  I had only lived there a couple of weeks when I found out that – at the time – it was actually the only building in the city that had an “official” thirteenth floor.  It appears that all of the other buildings in town has opted out of the dreaded number [their elevators going from 12 straight to 14] for fear that tenants or clients wouldn’t want to rent space on that floor.  So, there I was was…living on what many believed to be the most cursed floor in all of Ottawa!

As it turns out, the thirteenth floor was home to one of the best years of my life.  I fell in love that year.  With a city…with a boy…with a new life.  I enjoyed classes tailored specifically to my interests…I sat in coffee shops late into the night with new friends…and I experienced the world through my own eyes for the first time.  My home during that first year may have been riddled with unfounded fears…but in the end, love prevailed!!

I’ve never been an overly superstitious person.  I’ve owned black cats…I’ve never thrown salt over my shoulder…and I encourage all of my couples to see each other before their ceremony!!  Superstition has yet to prove itself to me.  So, when Natisa and Matt decided to get married on Friday, the 13th…I was unfazed…finding myself almost entirely overlooking the bad luck that day was historically supposed to bring.

It appears though that the universe’s sense of humor wasn’t about to let any of us forget…

One car accident…a sprained knee…a self-inflicted head injury [don’t ask!]…an hour and a half delay due to traffic…and temperatures plummeting to nearly single digits.  This is just a sampling of what the hours leading up to their wedding handed us.  And they weren’t just little, laughable glitches either.  Some of them were quite trying…overly challenging…and involved pain killers.

But, in the grand tradition that is life…the good always overcomes.  And that’s exactly what happened!  Under dark, cloudy skies…two best friends got married.  Two bright lights broke through the darkness.  Two wonderful souls became one.

Just like during my first year on the thirteenth floor…love prevailed…