reminiscing

When I first began this blog a few years ago I envisioned it as a place I could reminisce. Or a place I could just speak what was on my heart and mind at the time.   It has been that.
I'd like to reminisce more. So I will.
I had a wonderful friend in Georgia named Kathy Wilkinson about twenty years ago.  Sadly, I have lost touch with her but I just loved her so. She had a sweet way about her and was such an insightful and deep soul.  Her daughter, Audrey, and my two daughters, Kristen and Jenni, spent some fun times together. She lost a brother at an early age and would sometimes tell stories she remembered about him. I would listen attentively because her stories were always worthwhile and full of significant lessons about life.  She said that when we speak of those we love who are apart from us it's like a little visit with them and it brings them closer...and it feels GOOD. It satisfies our soul to remember.....  I always remembered that.
I was reminiscing tonight about my first date with Edd.  We had been communicating for a few months through email and talked on the phone and that all went very well but knew we needed to take the plunge and see if there was a spark in real life. We were in some ways afraid that if we met it would spoil the satisfying connection we had created.
Still. We had to go forward and see....
Edd picked the place. We met at the Gristmill in Gruen.  He was waiting, having gotten there first. We kept in touch through our cell phones and as he waited for me to appear he got a little nervous when he saw a very overweight, somewhat unattractive woman approaching with her phone held to her ear. Surely this wasn't Kathi he thought... He had seen my picture but was unsure.... and a bit alarmed.... Then he locked onto another woman with her phone up to her ear.  It was me.  And he said later he was VERY pleased.
It was a fun night that began with a glass of Riesling (me) and a Scotch (him). The conversation came easily and was never one-sided. It was give and take, neither dominating... both really listening and each fully engaged.  That first meeting produced no warning signals, alarming revelations, or un-comfortableness. Just ease and peace.

We found a soul-mate. And it would only get better with time. How can we be anything but grateful?