Don’t wait

The last week has been tough for a lot of reasons…not least of which is having to be apart from Mr. Blue Eyes after spending a solid month together.  Who knew I would miss him this much?  While he was here I fell more and more deeply in love with him. As amazing as that feeling is, it makes this period of re-adjustment to being alone again even more difficult.

Today I had a conversation with a woman that I wasn’t expecting at all.  I was at the Good Living Senior Center in St. Johnsbury interviewing some of the seniors for a piece in the newspaper’s holiday supplement.  Each of the four people I spoke with was fascinating in their own ways – a man who grew up in Cuba and had delightful anecdotes about how different the Christmas traditions were there; a woman who grew up in the Appalachian mountains; a man who held a place of privilege because he was an altar boy in St. Johnsbury.  It was the final woman, Marguerite, who stole my heart and lifted my spirit.

Marguerite is in her 90s and looks like she’s in her 70s.  She’s that feisty too.  She told me the utterly charming story of how she met her husband and how they both immediately knew.  It’s the kind of romantic moment that girls fantasize about.

A month after they were married, her husband shipped off to fight in the war.  They were apart for three years.

Thinking of my own situation, I asked her how she survived emotionally during that time when he was away.  For the first and only time when we were talking, the smile left her face and she became absolutely serious.  “I didn’t,” she said. “I had a nervous breakdown.”

He eventually came home safely and they had what sounds like a wonderful life together.  She smiled so sincerely, without a hint of wistfulness or regret, as she talked about their six decades of marriage.

She felt so much like the grandmother I’d always wanted to chat with that I found myself telling her a little about MBE and how hard it is to face these coming months apart. But as hard as it is, I am constantly aware of how much harder it would be if he were still in the military.  I can’t imagine living that life – apart is hard; apart and knowing that your beloved is constantly in imminent danger is more than I think I could bear.

As we were winding up our conversation, Marguerite looked at me with a girlish smile and said, “So you think he’s the one?”

I said, “I think he might be.”

And she replied, “Don’t wait.  The years go by so fast. Make a life together and be happy.”

This sweet woman was exactly what I needed this morning and I’m so grateful to have had that bit of time with her.