Miracles

      John and I met three times in our lives before we went out. The first time was in the middle of winter. I drove this old beat up cougar my now ex bought for me. The car was so bad, it didn't have any heat. The driver's side door would fly open when I drove down the highway so I had to hold it closed with a hanger. I look back now and wonder how I didn't fall out of the car and die.

      It snowed about 12 inches the night before we met. In the early morning, the snow storm turned into an ice storm. It was so bad outside, I probably shouldn't have even been in my car. I had to go to work though. I didn't want to miss any days. I save those for when one of the kids gets sick. So, I got in my car and drove about 6 blocks and got stuck. The funny thing is that I wasn't stuck in the middle of a snow bank or anything like that. I was stuck at a stop sign next to a curb. The car wasn't going anywhere, no matter how hard I spun the tires. Little hint for you; if you get stuck in the ice and snow, don't spin your tires, it only makes it worse. I didn't know that at the time. I grew up in San Diego. We don't get snow there...lol...

      So here I am. It's freezing cold out. I'm late for work and the car is not moving. John pulled up beside me in his 1990 dodge truck.

He got out of his truck and walked up to my window and asked, "Are you stuck?"

      I really wanted to say, no, the car is waiting for the stop sign to say go. I didn't though. Instead, I looked up and saw the kindest sweetest prettiest eyes I had even seen in my life. I paused, I'm pretty sure I even blushed, and said, "Yeah. Can you push me out with your truck?"

      He got back in his truck to push my car out of the snow, however, my car had other ideas. No matter how much he pressed down on the gas, the car wasn't going to move. When he pulled back. I got out of the car and saw a bunch of plastic on the ground. He had accidentally broke the marker lense on the back. I shrugged it off. I hated the car anyways.

      "Sorry about that." He said.
 
      "It's ok. I hate this car anyways. Another thing broke on it isn't going to make a difference." I said.

      "Can I give you a ride?"  He asked.

      "I have to go to the bank. Can you take me there then home?" I asked. After all, he broke my marker light, it was 4 degrees out and the wind was blowing. If he couldn't take me home, at least take me to the bank so my bills don't bounce.

      "No problem." He said.

      That's what he did. He drove me to the bank and then home. We had a little small talk during the ride. He told me his mom had just died. We ended up sitting in the parking lot for about a half an hour while he talked about it. We had never met before, I didn't even know his name, but it didn't matter, I listened. A while later, he dropped me at home where my then husband was waiting for me.

      We didn't talk again after that for about six months. By this time, I had learned so many things about my now ex that we were no longer together. He ended up in jail for a year. I moved into low income housing and decided I was finished with men.

      A few weeks later, my daughter ended up in the emergency room because of the flu. She was so dehydrated they checked her in to make sure she was ok. Thank God she was. I went outside to call work, and smoke a cigarette. When I got in the elevator, there he was again. His face looked familiar to me and so did those beautiful eyes. I couldn't place him though, so I just smiled and said nothing.

     It would have sounded cheap and sleezy if I would have said, "Don't I know you from somewhere?"

      Instead, I stood in the elevator in silence while we exchanged smiles. The elevator dinged, and I said, "Bye."

      The last time we met, I was just starting to meet the neighbors. John's long time best friend was one of them. I walked over to see if I could borrow a wrench. I needed to put the kid's bunk beds together and didn't have one. Turns out I didn't have the right screws for it either.

      John was at the house and said he would come over and help. I was really glad he did, because I had no idea what I was doing wrong. John got a kick out of it and went to the hardware store to get the right ones. He came back and put the bunkbeds together without charging me a single dime. Later that night his best friend invited me over for a drink. At this point, I really wanted a beer. It had been so long since I had enjoyed anything. In truth, I needed to laugh and needed the friends. When the kids fell asleep, I told my son who was almost 12,  I was going across the street. If he needed me for anything to let me know. I was gone for an hour.

      I was suprised that John was there. I sat in a seat across the room from him. I really did like his eyes, but there was no way I was going to get mixed up with anyone.  John and I talked and we both realized we had net two other times. He tells me now that he always remembered, he was just waiting for me. I think he always had been. God knows I was.

The following is a miracle from my soon to be father in-law. his name is James Buchanan.

Miracle:


When I was a 16 year old high school Junior, a new girl came to our school. She was a 14 year old Sophomore.

The first time I saw her I said, "WOW!!!!! Who is that pretty tall blond girl? As time passed we became acquainted & eventually friends. I was in awe of her beauty & she became the girlfriend of one of my best friends. Later that school year, my friend's mother would not let him take her to our Junior Prom, so he asked me if I would take her. I guess you can imagine how I jumped at this chance! I was kind of shy & since she was my good friend's girlfriend, I suppose I stifled myself, although I thoroughly enjoyed the evening & have never forgotten it. Sometimes we would hang out with mutual friends, but alas, nothing more. After graduation I went out of town to college & she finished her Senior year of high school. By then I was aware that my good friend had a different girlfriend, so upon my return home I asked this beautiful young woman to go out with me on 2 occasions and she said, "Yes"! , so we did! Why I didn't pursue her more ardently, I have no idea! Then I enlisted in the Navy or I would have been drafted into the Army. When I returned home again on leave I called her & we met for lunch where she told me that she was going to be getting married. After that we neither saw nor heard from each other for 48 years! A few weeks ago I received an email from facebook that I had 3 friend requests, so I went to see who they were. One of them was another girl who had been in our high school. When I clicked on her picture I found that one of her friends was the pretty, tall, blond girl who hadn't been on my mind all of those past 48 years, but whose image had crossed it more than a few times! She hadn't posted a picture or a request to add friends, so again I was hesitant, but within several days she had posted a picture & a friend request. Finally, I worked up enough courage to send her a message, to which she messaged me back & we resumed our friendship. After several weeks of facebooking each other we decided that we had to be face to face & that I would come to visit her! So we spent a wonderful 2 weeks together & now this story of 2 "auld" friends who had absolutely no contact with each other for 48 years has turned into the most amazing love story that you could ever imagine!

That is "our" miracle!



      Love is one of those miracles that transends time. It guides you when you least expect it. It can make you feel like you're on top of the world one minute and break your heart the next. Real love lasts a life time. Real Love is when a person knows everything about you, and loves you inspite of yourself, or maybe because of it. All I know is this; never block it out. you never know what will happen.