Alan Jackson’s daughter, Mattie, recently announced her engagement to fiancé Connor Smith. Mattie revealed in a November 14 post that she had had a lovely fall night with her favorite boyfriend.
She shared a number of images, including one with her fiancé and her parents, Alan Jackson and his wife of 43 years, Denise Jackson, and numerous more with other family and loved ones.
“Perfect fall night toasting me and my favorite person with all my friends and family.”She wrote, before thanking her hosts and announcing her impending marriage in six months:
Mattie’s engagement is a huge step forward in her journey to discover real happiness. This comes after the 32-year-old lost her sweetheart in 2018, when she was 28.
How Did Alan’s Daughter Marry at the Age of 28?
Mattie had been married to Ben Selecman for over a year when tragedy struck. On the deck of Jackson’s boat, where the family had gathered to celebrate Labor Day in 2018, the terrible year 2018 began sweetly.
But the day also meant something more to Mattie and Ben. They were also commemorating their first wedding anniversary. They met at the University of Tennessee, and Mattie fell in love with Ben’s enormous personality and cheery and joyous demeanor.
Mattie told People that they were still in love when her husband died unexpectedly: “We were still in the honeymoon period of our lives.”
but fate had other ideas. She recalls the dock being wet and Ben slipping and hitting his head. In the minutes that followed, Mattie hoped it was one of those moments when someone fell, got back up, and shook it off. Except that this was not one of those occasions.
It soon became clear that Ben’s fall had resulted in more than simply a concussion. A trip to the emergency room quickly revealed that things were not well. Surgeries were performed, followed by an 11-day medically induced coma.
Ben’s heart began to fail less than a day later, and he died on September 12, 2018. Mattie became a widow at the age of 28 and barely a year into her marriage. It was a difficult time for her, and the suffering that followed was unbearable.
The next three years were a roller coaster of emotions. She, on the other hand, opted to focus on the good. She had always assumed that her husband’s death was just the way things were since, in her words:
“I don’t think God purposely chose to put this misery on me.”
Alan’s Daughter Tells Her Love Story with the Man Who Restored Her Happiness
Her agony lasted a long time, but there was finally light at the end of the tunnel. She stated that she met her now-fiancé Smith in late 2021 and dedicated a lengthy essay to him.
She had no expectations when they met during happy hour. However, their drink date morphed into supper four hours later, and they have been dating since. She continued, saying:
“I have believed, prayed, and claimed for three and a half years that God would give me the opportunity to love someone with all of my heart once more.”
She described Smith as an answered prayer, and she recalled how other widow friends had promised her that her heart would mend sufficiently to accommodate her love for both her late husband and a new love interest. Mattie says she hoped that was true, but seeing Smith showed it was.
She then recognized his childlike personality, generosity, and soft heart. She praised him for allowing her to be herself despite her loss and for treating her flaws and dreams with respect, admiration, and dignity. She then praised God, stating she couldn’t believe he could heal wounded hearts in such a way.
Smith proposed to his girlfriend after nearly a year of dating in Palm Beach, Florida. She mentioned that they had taken a beach vacation to celebrate Smith’s 30th birthday. She had no idea he had other intentions for her.
She expressed her delight at the surprise and expressed how tremendously lovely it seemed that a simple birthday party had transformed into choosing the rest of their lives together. “You are the biggest blessing,” she said at the end of her message.