Recently, I spent the weekend at my parents’
house. My husband was out of town on a business trip for 10 days, and it seemed
like the perfect opportunity to spend some time with a few of my favorite
people. I love spending time with my family, and even an hour with them is
always a little rejuvenating.
I had some good laughs with my brother; I went
on a few walks with my dad; I went to a lecture with my mom; we all went to
church on Sunday; I got some home-cooked meals, and life just felt a little
more magical by the time I was driving to work on Monday morning.
On Sunday night, we had a cookout. My dad
grilled burgers, and although it was the end of January, we ate outside. This
would definitely be a perk of unpredictable Houston weather. Two years ago on
the same date, I remember my boss was calling off work due to ice, and now here
we were in short sleeves grilling burgers and pretending we were minutes away
from the ocean on a cooler June evening.
My parents just got a new sound system, and we
had The Beatles playing all afternoon. At one point, my parents’ song, “If I
Fell,” came on, and they promptly stopped what they were doing to dance to it.
As I watched these two people I admire so much
dance to a song they so loved, I thought about their story. It’s quite magical.
My parents met on their very first day of
college at St. Lawrence University. My dad was one of the freshman boys who was
helping people move their stuff into the dorms, and my mom happened to be one
of the people he helped.
This was only the beginning of their wonderful
friendship. Freshmen year, my dad dated the girl who was then my mom's sophomore
roommate. Without any explanation, my mom’s roommate broke up with him on the
first day back from summer vacation. My dad was crushed and turned to my mom as
a friend wondering what happened. In addition, my mom broke up with her
boyfriend half-way through the year. Mom never talks about this boyfriend, but
I’ve always gotten the impression that he deserved the dumping he got. Soon
after, my parents found themselves drawn to each other at every event they both
attended.
February of that year rolled around and my dad’s
fraternity (SAE, if you are wondering) had a party coming up. My dad was
sitting at lunch one day with one of his friends and saying he had no idea whom
to invite. This brilliant friend (who was later the best man in my parents’
wedding) suggested my dad invite my mom. At first, my dad shot the idea down
saying they were just friends and he didn’t want to jeopardize that. Mr.
Brilliant reminded him that if my dad didn’t ask her, someone else would, and they
would end up talking to each other the whole night anyway, so why didn’t he
save himself the trouble and ask her himself?
A few seconds later, my mom walked by, and the
wheels began to turn for my dad.
Sure enough, he asked my mom out to his
fraternity’s party. Even though my mom didn’t want to jeopardize their
friendship either and was also hoping someone else would ask her, she accepted
the invitation.
That night, they saw each other at a hockey game
and walked over to a fraternity party that played a Beatles and Beach Boys
count-down. “If I Fell” by The Beatles came on, and they turned and sang it to
each other.
It was only 10 days after my parents' first date when my mom called her mom and told
her she had just started dating the man she was going to marry. After she got
off the phone, my mom dashed off to class. On the way out of her dorm, she ran
into my dad. My dad said the moment he saw my mom walking out of her dorm and
rounding the corner for him, he knew my mom was the one. As he has put it when he tells the story, "It was like seeing my whole future walking toward me."
Later that evening, my dad asked my mom what she
had been doing that day. As she ran through the events of the day, she mentioned
talking to her mom before running into my dad on her way to class. My dad
paused, looked at my mom and said, “You told your mother we’re getting
married.” If you know my dad, you probably know about his uncanny ability to read minds. Though my mom was a little floored at his accuracy, that was it. From then until their wedding day that was still 2 years away, life turned from "If I Fell" to "Wouldn't It Be Nice."
They were married on June 21, 1975 - a few weeks after college graduation and at the young age of 21.
When I was little, I loved that story. It was
one I could listen to over and over again and never get tired of hearing (or
telling myself). There was a time in my life where it was almost painful to
think about, because I accepted it was true for my parents, but I was sure that
it was never going to be that magical or wonderful for me. Life is life, and
magical stories like theirs are rare. Even magical stories have ended in
divorce.
I know there are some of you out there reading
this and feeling this way – for whatever reason. Maybe you’re single and you’ve
never been in a relationship. Maybe you’ve had your heart broken one too many
times. Maybe you’re divorced and think you’ll never love or trust anyone again.
Maybe your spouse has passed on and you feel like finding great and true love
is like winning the lottery: incredibly rare and only happens once.
Once upon a time, I felt that way. I would hold
onto a story like my parents’ and just hope and have an empty prayer that maybe
I might have one half as magical.
But here’s the thing: God knows your desires
better than anyone else does – often better than you yourself do. And even in
your darkest hour, He’s still there pulling you through and providing good,
because that’s what He is: Good. Always.
I always knew this in my heart, but I remember
that empty, lonely feeling of hopelessness that made me want to curl up in a
ball and disappear for a while when life threw a curve I felt I couldn’t hit.
But sometimes, when you don’t even know it, something completely magical is
waiting around the corner, and if you just stop and sit on a bench feeling
sorry for yourself, you’ll miss the wonderful blessing that’s waiting for you until
you pick yourself up, and move forward because that incredible future is only
steps away.
So, to whoever you are and however you
celebrate, whether you are happy or just on the verge, whether you know your
blessings or are wondering what your blessings are, God’s got this one.
All you have to do is Trust. Sit back, relax,
and have a very Happy Valentine’s Day.
