True Love

Early in our friendship I had somewhat of a standing "date" babysitting my husband's nieces and nephew. We weren't yet a couple, but we were headed in that direction. During that time, I remember watching him interacting with those young children; completely engaged, genuinely interested. I was probably already a little in love with him, but after times like those, I was hooked. One December evening at his house, after we had begun dating, we babysat my infant nephew. After my sister and her husband had picked up their baby boy, we discovered a lonely little sock had been left behind and I picked it up to tuck it away and return to my sister next time I saw them. John asked me for it and, confused, I handed it to him. He turned around, said we're not returning it, and gently placed it on the Christmas tree, along with the tiny G.I. Joe figurine and clothespin soldiers in their felt uniforms, from his childhood. With that gesture, in some small way, he had attached his future to mine.

I was deeply in love.

So you can about imagine how it feels for me to watch him with our very own children.

Last weekend, my daughter watched with jiggly anticipation, while her big strong daddy knelt down and carefully placed the training wheels on her shiny red "new" two-wheeler. She rode it all day long. She opened the garage door to check it was still there before she went to bed and again first thing when she woke up the next day. We could almost see the butterflies in her tummy when she talked about that bike. She told me she dreamt about it that night.

Then it rained and snowed for three days. She was in agony and we had a little "episode" every morning, working out how we would pass the hours instead of riding bike, because it was yucky outside and we couldn't. She negotiated and compromised; maybe we could just ride it a little in the garage; maybe we could clean the wheels and ride a little downstairs; maybe just go out in the garage quick and sit with it awhile would be okay.

We worked it out and made it through.

I remember what it was like to be separated from my true love, even for little bits of time, in those first few months of our relationship. We had a bit of a long distance relationship and I remember planning to meet each other during the week, half way between his house and mine, for dinner. And I remember, too, NOT planning it and even though it was late and we both had to work the next day, meeting half-way anyway, because we just needed to spend time together for awhile. I remember, before the days of cell phones, outrageous $200 telephone bills. One of us would call the other and then half way through the conversation, we'd hang up and switch callers, to share the phone bill expense. It was nuts, but we were in love.

Today the sun shone and I have been outside with our daughter for hours while she spends time with her beloved two-wheeler. I am so thankful for the sunshine today. I'm also thankful that my time of waiting for sunny days has past. Now, even during the "rainy" days (like through long, cold, dreary winters and lay-offs) my every day and my future is connected to the strong and gentle guy who put those training wheels on for her.

A person shouldn't have to be separated from their true love one minute longer than they have to.