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Tuesday, June 21, 2016

Summer Solstice 2016 Post #63

Happy Summer Solstice my Sweet Summer friend.

As we walk our paths called life, may we:

Cherish those who are in our charge
Live life to the fullest
Embrace every day
Love each moment
Laugh often
Forgive easily
Look forward to where our paths lead, wherever that may be.

Though memories become whispers in the cobwebs of our minds,
Never forget those we've lost by death or by distance, or perhaps by some ill-fated fate;
As we all dissipate into mist called the faraway past

And always remember, once again my sweet friend, come summer, fall, winter and spring, we will meet again,
If only to say hello and to wish each other a Happy Summer Solstice!

Happy Summer Solstice, my sweet Summer Friend.

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Arizona for Valentines Day Post # 62

          After becoming Scott's Valentine, he never let a day go by without calling to say good morning and good night, at the very least.  Each morning I awoke to a sweet text, yet our communication stayed on neutral ground and I appreciated that he didn't try to take it to a level anyplace other than where we were; a friendship potentially blossoming into a partnership; something that we both just knew, yet didn't talk about.

        By late January, it was evident still that Scott  would not be able to travel so he invited me to go out to Arizona for Valentine’s Day.  My close friends and family know that I was never the type to jump on a plane and/or travel alone, yet something in my spirit told me that this was exactly what I needed to do.  I flew in on Thursday, February 12, 2015, certain that destiny awaited me on the other end.  Throughout my travels, Frek and I talked with anticipation that we would finally be seeing each other for the first time in 30 plus years.

       The flight arrived in Phoenix 45 minutes early so naturally, Frek was not there yet.  I had pictured this robust man sweeping me into his arms and swinging me around, my feet flying through the air in the levity of serendipity. Okay...Not really to that extent.  What happened was anything but, and every horror story ever told of people developing a potential relationship before meeting in person went through my head.  By the time he arrived, my baggage was in hand and I was waiting at the entrance.  He didn't jump out of the vehicle like I thought he would, and for a moment it seemed I was supposed to put my own luggage in the back and just get in.  After a moment, he go out very slowly and walked around the vehicle, his foot in a medical boot, and silently lifted my bag into the back.


I was unprepared for the frail, thin man that greeted me and my first thought was that this
must be his father.  He barely said a word on the drive home and my mind was racing as I tried to align this meek, shy man with the guy on the phone.  I was stuck here for 11 days and had to make the best of it, then I would leave and we would be friends.

        His house was clean and I was surprised at how well decorated and homey it was.  He showed me to the guest room and, looking around, it was evident he’d gone out of his way to make it comfortable and beautiful for me.  There was a vanity with a make-up mirror  a new, empty dresser just for me.  The closet was empty with hangers ready and the night stand by the bed had the latest months decorator and natural health magazines; things we had talked about and he knew I loved. The bedding was beautiful, brand new, freshly washed and extremely comfortable.   Looking around, it was easy to picture the man on the phone doing all of this.

       Having traveled all night, I was exhausted and we opted to take naps in the living room, in recliners that sat about 4 feet from each other.  It was only around noon and we slept till about 2:00.  When we awoke, he suggested we go grocery shopping so I could pick out the food.  We went to a whole foods type of store and I, being budget-minded, was being very selective but Frek had remembered from previous conversations many of the things I like and he would quietly slip away and come back with items from our phone conversations.  We had a $200 bill there and just after we put it away at the house, he offered to take me out to dinner but I suggested cooking there, which we did.   He seemed a little anxious that I may be too tired or feel 'slave-driven' on my first night.

       As we cooked dinner, Frek was still very quiet.  By this time, he had mentioned a few times how much weight he had lost over the previous few months and it dawned on me that the impact of his physical appearance was a strain on his self-confidence; which was why he was so stand-offish.  Not only that, but when he stood up, it took him a minute to get his balance, hence the reason he didn't leap out of the car, and especially why my fantasy of our first meeting didn't come true.  Another epiphany came to me.  It was really a good thing that we had talked for months before meeting because, in all honesty, had I seen him before knowing his spirit, I may have passed on by, missing out on - what turned out to be - the love of my life.  We all tend to make assessments of people we know nothing about and this made me wonder how many would-be great friendships and relationships never happen because we won't venture past our own superficial standards if the person doesn't fit the 'profile'.

       
During dinner, Frek ran down a whole list of things he wanted to do over the next 10 days; things that he knew I would enjoy.  By the time we cleaned up and sat down for a cup of coffee before an early bedtime ( I had gotten 2 hours of sleep in the previous 48 hours) the man sitting four 4 feet away me in our respective recliners was slowly merging into the man on the phone.  I went to bed much earlier than him and as I melted into a sound sleep I had feelings of peace, comfort, and hope.