Thirty-seven steps, forty-two in my favorite pair of flip-flops. That’s the exact distance between
She was wearing blue jeans, a light blue top and a light jean jacket when I first saw her. She had placed the trash from her house in the large brown can that sat outside of her garage. My immediate reaction is the same reaction I have when I haven’t seen her all day – wow… Not wow as in “You’ve won a million dollars!!” but more wow as in “so, that’s what beautiful looks like.” The chauvinist in me instantly assumed that she was the spouse of a very lucky Marine (we lived on base). Envy crept up my spine and turned my face a tad sour. She never spoke to me that afternoon and I can’t help but wonder if the look of disappointment on my face was an instant turn-off.
A single parent, I dreaded “getting back out there” for fear that I would never find true love and of course, I would repeat the same mistakes that caused my divorce. For a long time, I refused to date anyone so that I could ensure that I worked on my issues before inviting anyone back in to my life or my son’s. Living in a three bedroom house with nothing but my son’s nine year old world to keep me company can be a bit lonely. Nonetheless, I was hoping for “the one” and I wouldn’t settle for less.
Assuming the worse, I decided to grab a bottle of wine and try and be neighborly, although the gentleman next door had the pleasure of dwelling with the most attractive woman I had seen in a long time. To my surprise she answered the door again, this time donning a set of Marine Corps cammies. The beautiful woman by the trash can was also an extremely squared away Staff Sergeant. I introduced myself as her neighbor and informed her that if her and her husband (assuming) ever needed anything that, as a corpsman, I would be very happy to help. She said thanks, took the bottle and I walked the long, arduous thirty-seven steps back to my door (I was wearing my combat boots.)
A day later, the attractive SSGT knocked on my door and for some reason I instantly panicked. I learned that her name was Melissa so I no longer had to call her the “beautiful SSGT next door” when I thought of her. She told me that she appreciated the wine but didn’t have a wine opener. With lightning speed and agility, I had the bottle open and two glasses of Chardonnay poured before she could walk away. I asked if her husband was coming over and she informed me that she too was a single parent. Our similarities didn’t stop there. By the time I refreshed our glasses I found out that she was getting out of the military the same month as me, she wanted to move back to Texas like me, she was an avid Christian (big plus) and she had two beautiful children.
When Melissa left my house and returned to her own, I felt an overwhelming sense of comfort. It was as if God had shown me a glimpse of my future. Our conversation was very innocent but riddled with a very distinct connection. Though there was no husband, there was a boyfriend. I endured. I was positive that she was a blessing that was long overdue. After about a year, our situations changed dramatically and now I have the distinct honor of spending my life with her.
Forty-two steps. Forty-two steps separated me from my destiny and now I can’t be happier. Now, I never allow forty-two steps, miles, or hours to separate us. She is mine forever and that’s exactly how I saw the very first time I saw her.
1 comment:
Tmass, that was a most enjoyable, beautiful and well written story of how destiny works. It shows how God plans work. How his infinite knowledge will endure even 42 steps. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and it reminded me of what I have and how I met the woman I will spend the rest of my life with. Man, you should put these blogs down in a book of short stories, put some scripture to them and they can be very inspirational. Let me know my brother if you need some help with that idea. Always happy to read what you write. Thanks.
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