I was done. I’d endured more than she ever thought possible. In fact, none of it seemed even remotely real. Surely it was all just a nightmare I’d finally woken from. I alluded to it in More Solid Than I Realized. I didn’t reveal details of that painful year then and I don’t plan to now. But I knew at the beginning of this year that it was all over. Not just the nightmare. Everything. I was relieved to be free of the agony, but I was also keenly aware that the future would be one of merely existing. No pain but no joy. No nightmare but no dream. Just days of waking, breathing, eating, sleeping, on constant repeat. While that wasn’t my dream, I was okay with it. It was enough. It was better than the nightmare, for sure.

And then, one Sunday evening, I received a Facebook message from a stranger. That’s usually NOT a good thing, but in this case, it was the best message imaginable. It came from a woman who’d seen my photo and felt some sort of connection with me. She’d never messaged anyone before but felt compelled to to take a chance this one time.

The message caught my interest. She was a local (about an hour away from me) so I got a feeling that this one might be real and not just some catfisher. I replied back. We talked for a bit and agreed to meet for lunch two days later.

Y’all, she and I fell madly in love, nearly instantly. We just KNEW. My life has taken the wildest, most incredible turn! We’ve found our life partners, at this stage of life. We are now living together in real bliss. This isn’t just “the honeymoon phase”. This is real, true, honest, reality-based love.

Never give up! It’s not over until the fat lady sings, or in this case, until the Facebook Messenger rings. 

Keep the faith. Bide your time. It might not happen until the last few years of your life, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen at all. 

I will always be grateful that Sandy took a chance that Sunday evening.