It was the Fall of 1966. Specifically, the September of 1966.
Fall was in the air, and Cupid was
everywhere, being kept very busy by the students in both schools.
The High Schooler’s would walk down to the
Elementary Grade School cafeteria for lunch; they would walk down after the
younger students had finished their lunches. I was standing by the corner of
the building, watching some of the Middle School kids playing tennis … AND THEN
… Bob walked past me.
ALL of my attention was snagged by his
presence. He was pure masculinity, and delicious eye candy: my heart whispered,
“He’s the one.” The entire school year, I took up residence at the corner of
the school building, just to watch him walk past me in the noontime hour. I was
a skinny little thing – not noteworthy at all, and Cupid’s dart with my Name on
it never struck the heart of the Love of My Life. 1966 eventually morphed into
1967 with the New year, and HE (aka, The Face) graduated. He never walked past
that school corner again ☹
I did date before Bob, but none of the other
fellas ever touched my heart the way HE did; two came close … but my heart
would always whisper, “They are not him. He is the One”. Those poor guys never
knew they were being pitted against a face without a Name. LOL
I had grown up quite a bit between 1966 and
1974: I wasn’t a little skinny waif, anymore. And by an ironic twist of fate, I
met HIM again 7 years later – and this time, he DID notice me 😊 Joy and jubilation!
We dated exclusively, every night after Bob
got off work as well as weekends; my parents and siblings never saw me unless
it was a dashing blur as I changed clothing. By the end of August, we were
married; we shared 44 Autumn’s together, before the last Autumn of 2018 began
his journey Home Beyond the Clouds.
My nose still burns, and my eyes tear up,
when Autumn rolls around … but, I’m getting better at dealing with this time of
year. I’ve aways enjoyed Fall and Winter, and I’m starting to enjoy those
seasons again. They are strange to experience without Bob, but in a way, I AM
still experiencing them WITH Bob: Bob will always be a part of me. As long as I
breathe, the memory of Bob will always be a vital part of me; everything I
think, feel, say, contemplate, and enjoy – is immediately infused with a memory
I shared with Bob. It can’t be helped. That’s just the way it is. From the
first moment Bob came into my life, he WAS the main focus of my life; it was an
instantaneous, living thing: I loved him, I loved him, I loved him.
And death has not killed it. I loved him
then. I love him now.
But I am beginning to embrace a New Life, and
the realities of a life without Bob in it. That is what Bob wanted – and
expected of me. I’m sure he is smiling and nodding his head in approval, with
these new steps I’m taking forward. They are awkward but painstakingly
necessary. They are scary, yet exciting. They dovetail the Past and the Present,
making space for a Future.
And I am learning to love Fall and Winter all
over again, too.
Val, this touched me so. This is a lovely tribute to Bob & your 44 years.
ReplyDeleteThank you, friend.
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