Once Upon A Time...

Let me tell you a story - one that isn't mine. It belongs to a woman I met today; a woman I met and grew to love in only a few hours.

Once upon a time...

there lived a lovely, 16-year-old girl. She was young and free, and hadn't given much thought to tying herself down in any way - marriage or otherwise. She was the middle child, and true to the middle-child stereotype she had a level head on her shoulders - not easily persuaded and firmly rooted in what she believed. She didn't think there was anything particularly special about herself, and was anything but vain.

A young man - 21 years old and dashing as ever, who didn't know our no-nonsense girl - was winning over the hearts of many during this time. Looking at his awards and recognitions mentioned in the college yearbook, one could easily tell that he was a people-person - an individual that everyone was drawn to. He was never without a smile, and could easily have had the cream of the crop.

One evening on a blind date, life let these two humans meet. The young man was instantly taken, but the girl held her ground. He knew he couldn't pursue her because of age differences as the age gap would appear unacceptable to her family, so he had no choice but to wait. And wait. And wait...

A couple of years later, Dashing transferred to the same college that Lovely was making plans to attend - both oblivious to each other's plans. Life let them meet again... but there was an unexpected twist of fate.

This young woman had learned she had a chronic disease - Multiple Sclerosis; a developmental illness that would inevitably claim her body one day. When that day would be, she did not know - but she knew that the outcome was something she couldn't avoid... something that was not too far off in her future.

Sure that the young man would leave her, she bravely told him of her condition - and he was unphased. He loved her, and would stop at nothing.

They married, and 41 years later... this lovely lady is telling me her story from her wheelchair; still beautiful and lacking nothing in composure. Her husband is in and out of the room, piping in his two cents about how difficult she was to swoon.

They love each other to the fullest extent. This gentleman loves a woman in a body that has so little to give... and yet so much. He loves her and would do anything for her. I asked the woman what her favorite quality about her husband was, and she replied without a second thought: "He is an eternal optimist, and is so patient." She states it without hesitation - her body has done nothing to crush her spirits.

I hold a reverent sense of respect for this incredibly strong woman, and her loyal husband. She is in the kitchen talking with me, while her husband stands in the living room only feet away. Her back is facing him, and she cannot see his smile - creased with love and lines, knowledge and understanding. Their situation has times of frustration and moments when they don't know how they can do it - but they hold a love so deep and real, it can't be shaken. They make every day a new one; theirs is a happy home.

And they are living their happily ever after.