A love story, maybe there is hope for all of us?

[mortensorchid]

I'd been feeling rather down for the last several weeks. Prospects are non-existent, the one that was interested in me I was not so I decided the best thing to do was to close the book on it before I was feeling awkward enough. When things are down and out, I look to this story for hope. This happened to a friend of my mom's many years ago ...

 

My mom's friend Joan was working as an elementary school teacher in the same building as my mom (also a former elementary school teacher) nearly 50 years ago. Joan's mom and dad had told her to come over to their house that evening and meet some friends they had from overseas who were in town. Even though she moaned and groaned about it for some reason or another, she went. That night, she met a man from England named Richard. They sat and chatted for most of the night, enjoying each others' company. The next day, as planned for the rest of his trip, he left for Chicago. She told everyone what a wonderful man she had met and if only he lived in town. Two days later, Richard called her and said he was coming back to town for some unfinished business and would she like to spend some time together.

 

At the end of his second day visiting, Richard told her that his unfinished business here was to see Joan again. He told her that he felt that she was The One, and hoped that she would accept his hand in marriage. Joan said "Wha?" He was serious. She did not say yes immediately, but said she felt the same way. Richard went back to England, they wrote each other nearly everyday (before email that was an accomplishment). He invited her to come and spend Christmas with him, and she went to England to see him. He asked her once again, and she said yes.

 

The two of them married that summer, and they were happily married for nearly 40 years until Joan died 10 years ago. I'd never seen two people happier, despite all the terrible ups and downs of life, they greeted each other like newlyweds every morning and they were in love like two people I had never seen before or since.

 

So, I guess if that is not the greatest story ever told about how two people met and fell in love, I don't know what is. And, I guess, that means there may or may not be hope for all of us. Love can and does happen, I guess we have to wait.