It's 1974, a few weeks before high school graduation. She's a sophomore, fifteen years old.
She sees a boy she's never noticed before going into the band room, turns to her girlfriend and says matter-of-factly, "That's the boy I'm going to marry."
She doesn't even know his name.
After the high school graduation ceremony, which everyone in this small town attends, he comes over to her and asks, "When are you comin' to see me," and explains he's working as a lifeguard at the pool over the summer to help earn money for college. She demurs. She still doesn't know his name.
She waits until the end of June to go to the pool since she doesn't want to seem too eager. He immediately notices her sitting with her feet dangling in the water and on his next break heads over to her and asks, "What are you doin' tonight, besides going out with me?"
She replies, "Well, I guess I'll be going out with you!" And he finally introduces himself.
On their third date, he proposes and she accepts.
Their families are livid, hers especially. Neither of them have dated much at all, he's been focused on school and getting into college, he wants to be a doctor, and she just wasn't interested in dating. Until now.
When her father puts his foot down and forbids the marriage, she says simply, "Fine, then we'll just live together."
They're married nine days after her 16th birthday. In Oklahoma, you can't marry under the age of 16 unless you're pregnant, which she's not.
36 years later they are still married, still in love.
"He's my best friend," she tells me. They have two daughters, the oldest is an RN, the youngest a doctor, like her dad. Three beloved grandchildren.
When I ask her how she could have been so sure, she merely says, "I just knew. He says our souls recognized each other, and I think he's right."
Who am I to argue? I just wonder if my soulmate is still wandering around somewhere, wondering where the fuck I am and what's taking me so long.
20 comments:
Epic.
Possibly your best post ever.
Wow, thank you!
Amazing tale. Lucky folk.
Buckskins Rule, to me the most amazing thing was that she was so aware of the fact that they were lucky! She was so thankful for it, and their lives together.
Hopefully, your soul mate will stand still long enough for you to get a lock on him with your GPS...
so when my soul screamed in horror and fled when I met my last wife I should have listened ?
'Drea, from your lips to God's ears!
Mulligan, that should have given you a clue, yes. :D
Great one! That means there IS hope for us all... :-)
I love that story. I think people these days don't know their own souls well enough to follow their heart. People are not tuned in that way.
Wow. It's hard for me to imagine what that's like, but your post helps me try!
Old NFO, sometimes it's hard to keep hoping, but I haven't quite given up yet.
Lou, you're probably right. We're too hard-headed and cynical, and too "rational" to heed our hearts.
Lissa, isn't it amazing? That's one of the very best parts of my job, hearing people's stories. I just love it when folks have been together forever and are still going strong, and I *LOVE* hearing how they met and fell in love.
My soul lied... or was seriously mistaken, one or the other. Still, 23 years ain't chopped liver. ;-)
No it's not, Buck. That's a good, long haul!
I believe there is somebody out there for everybody - the time lived before finding each other is the journey, but the adventure begins when you finally meet. In my case, I didn't have to travel too far and wide or for too many years before I found the love of my life. He, on the other hand, had to go through 4 marriages and countless girlfriends before he got it right!!
Yup. Sometimes we don't see the forest for the trees.
Okay, then ... here goes.
You know that old wish ... to return to a younger age? Typically, we want to return with all our current knowledge and experience intact.
Not me ... I'd like to go back to about 16 ... but without 50 years of personal history weighing me down. I would like one small change in my younger self ... to not be afraid of doing something I knew was right ... but felt there were other reasons for not doing it.
You see ... I suspect my true love was there ... and I didn't have faith enough in myself ... or in her ... to make that fateful step.
Thankfully, your pair weren't like me. They knew ... and they did.
Great story, Christina.
Regards.
George, I'm sorry. :(
But life is far too short for regrets. I hope you don't let it get you down (too much).
Aww, that is such a lovely story. I think it would be boring if we all had the same experience like that. It must be a nice feeling, never to wonder or have doubts or false-starts. You'll find each other. Better late than never. Here's to we late-bloomers. :)
Hi Christina ... it was a long time ago ... and it didn't get me down forever at the time. After all, I didn't know ... then ... that she was probably the one.
Still ... my 50th High School reunion is this month ... going back to Montreal ... but she's not on the list of attendees.
Thanks for your kind thought, though. Muchly appreciated.
Regards.
Phlegmmy: hear,hear!
George, it's never too late, right?
Maybe she'll be there and it's just that she hasn't made up her mind yet whether to attend or not.
Just go and have fun!
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