The Backstory of Our Lost & Found Journey, Jerry and Debbie
The first story that I am so excited to share, is the backstory behind our “lost and found” story! It all began in 1985 when my high school bestie, Debbie, set me up with her boyfriend’s bestie at a school dance. That’s where I met Bryan. The four of us would cruise the big town of Wasilla and Eagle River blasting Van Halen and Duran Duran in Bryans car.
However, life took a turn when Debbie moved out of state in 1986. “Back then”, we didn’t have cell phones, emails, or social media—just long-distance phone calls and good old-fashioned snail mail. Sadly, Jerry and Debbie Lost touch.
Years later, in a remarkable twist of fate, they managed to reunite. And then several years later… well you guessed it. They were the connection in reuniting Bryan and I once again, when we were both facing some of the toughest times in our lives. It’s a beautiful story of how two best friends ended up marrying two best friends from the 80s. How did this all happen? Join me as we explore this incredible journey of connection and love!
Meet our best friends Jerry and Debbie from Eagle River, Alaska:
How did you meet your first love? Our story began in 1984 at Church in Eagle River, Alaska. My journal entry from that time reads, “I met a boy named BD (Bryan Drollinger, lol). I thought he was really cute untiI I met his friend JF.” (Jerry Fullmer) Little did I know, Jerry’s “swagger” would capture my heart, and a deep connection that felt like destiny.
Where were you when that first spark ignited? Oh, those memories of laughter and youthful innocence. We were in the same church congregation and sat by each other in Sunday school class. At school, Jerry would walk me to my class and we would exchange notes in between. Some of those notes, we both kept tucked away for years. We would also “meet up” at church, school dances. In the Alaskan Summer, we occasionally met at a park or Jerry would “stop in” where I was babysitting. 😉 Felt like puppy love but felt as real as love could feel at age fifteen. Made my heart race and kept him constantly on my mind! I never forgot that feeling. Those dances and Sunday school classes were more than just events; they were the backdrop to a young romance that seemed to promise forever.
What led to your separation? Life, as it tends to do, had other plans. I eventually moved away from Alaska. We were still young, and communication back then wasn’t exactly easy. Long-distance meant long-distance phone bills, snail mail, and eventually, we fell out of touch. But here’s the thing- I never forgot how I felt around Jerry. That all-consuming, “meant to be” first love, I felt with Jerry. I would compare that teenage love to every relationship that came after. Honestly, none of them quite measured up to that tingling, can’t-stop-thinking-about-you, butterflies-in-my-stomach kind of feeling. It couldn’t be duplicated.
Living separate lives, I got married. So did he. But somehow, he always held a piece of my heart. All the years apart, I never felt completely myself, or that sense of belonging that I felt with Jerry. Throughout the years, even though time and distance created a gap between us, I often thought of him, feeling a sense of longing that no one else could fill.
How did you find your way back? Fast forward to 2009, when I joined Facebook. It turned the page to a new chapter in our story. I connected with Jerry’s sister, who helped bridge the gap between us. What started as a few texts blossomed into meaningful phone conversations. We leaned on each other during challenging times, rekindling a friendship that felt both familiar and comforting.
Even after reconnecting, there were stretches of time where we didn’t talk, yet Jerry was never far from my thoughts. As I faced my own divorce, I knew he was also navigating his own challenges.
In the summer of 2014, after both of us had gone through heartbreak and big life shifts, our paths crossed again. This time, something clicked right back into place. We picked up right where we had left off- but this time, older, wiser, and sure of what we wanted. That teenage boy with the swagger, he had grown into a man with a heart just as beautiful as I remembered. I realized that no one else made me feel as complete as he did. It was a feeling that had never faded, despite the years apart.
In January 2015, we said “I do’-thirty years after our first “hello”.
What did you learn along the way? As I reflect on our journey, I feel immense gratitude for the twists and turns that led us back to one another and life’s lessons that make us who we are today. Our story is a reminder that true love can endure the trials of time and distance, and that sometimes, life offers us a “second chance on love”. I truly believe that the universe conspired to bring us back together because our love was always “meant to be.”
xo
