There are quite a few of these I could write about, but when I sat down and and thought about it, picking THE ONE to share is pretty easy. (Take a look at Jen's. Mine is similar, minus the screaming and slamming of phones.)
Approaching the holidays, 2003... It had been a rough year. If you know me at all, you know why. I was catering up a storm with holiday parties and personal cheffing, and really, finally, starting to hit my stride with being a single parent and running a business. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the catering kitchen, was looking forward to a little chill time at the holidays--with Seth on Christmas Eve, and then spending the following day with friends.
It was Dec. 18--the day my niece Lucy was born--and I remember the day quite vividly. I had a lunch to cater at my previous place of employment. They were a good client and I often cooked for their management group, in addition to the lunches and personal chef dinners I dropped off.
I went in and was setting up and one of the managers came and was chatting with me. Then husband (obviously not husband then!) came in and we started talking too. This is someone I had worked with for 11 years and knew fairly well. But something that day was different. I don't know what or why, but it was very palpable. To me, at least. I left thinking, "Huh. Well. Huh," and pondered it for some time, into the middle of the night.
Fast forward to the next week, and Christmas Eve. I was running around the kitchen like a crazy lady, putting together lunches and dinners for final deliveries before the holiday. I looked up, and there he was, at the door. He brought back a ramekin I'd left at the building from lunch the week previous. I walked outside with him and we chatted for a couple of minutes. He said he'd heard I didn't have Seth for Christmas and he wanted to make sure I was okay. My heart melted. Seriously. Even writing it now, my heart swells up with how kind and considerate he was and is. I assured him that I had Seth that night for our Christmas, and would be okay. And then we hugged goodbye. What? Huh? I know, right?! It just happened. A first for us, definitely.
I went back into the kitchen and the girl who was working for me at the time said, "You know, he likes you." (It felt very high school.) I said, "You think? I don't know." But I knew. :)
And from there it began. Ever so slowly. So very slowly. As only a bachelor and a recently-divorced girl can progress. And here we are, almost 10 years later, with our own happy ending.
When I think back on that week, I am so grateful for a moment when I noticed something was different. I'm grateful that what I felt in that room was obviously felt by him too, and that he took the risk to come find me.
What's your distinct moment, when your life took a turn?
Jen and I (and now my mom and Lisa too!) are blog challenging throughout September. You can catch her blog over at Stuff Jen Says. If you want to write along with us, give me a shout and I'll send you the blog prompts.
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Oh my, what a beautiful story. Here is a book. A poem? So happy for you. When I showed your husband's photo to my friend this past weekend, she said, what a lovely kind face. She is the second friend to tell me that on first glance. Isn't that lovely? I must tell him that.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great story! All the more better for the way things have gone since.
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