Everything Happens For a Reason - A Love Story
It’s a Saturday night in April. 2021. My computer breaks. It just dies. Goodbye. Decides not to work. Panic sets in because I NEED this computer. Especially tomorrow! I have to work tomorrow and I’m getting ready to go on a hiking trip on Monday. If my computer doesn’t work then it will mess up my entire week.
I’m still in the early days of recovering from mold toxicity and my nervous system does not handle this schedule alteration well at all.
I call Apple and while the lady was perfectly nice and empathetic to my situation, she was unable to help me and told me that I’d need to take the computer to the store. There was one appointment left at the Apple store for the next day, Sunday, and I took it.
Okay, change of plans. A 90 minute trip (one way) to Apple tomorrow it is!
Surrender.
Sunday comes and I begin the drive. Stressed and frustrated. But I knew that this was happening for a reason. I just felt it so deeply. While I was still overwhelmed, I began to relax into what was happening… because it was happening for some reason that I knew would be revealed today.
Into the store I go.
I come out a while later without my computer, which had to be sent away to get fixed for a decent chunk of change. Ahh!!
Back to surrender. It is what it is. And remember, this is all happening for a reason.
Now that I’m done with that I need food.
I really didn’t want to go somewhere in the city because I wasn’t interested in jumping though all of the COVID hoops just to get something to eat. My view of most of my favorite restaurants was now skewed because of all of the hoop jumping. A year into this, I’m not playing the game anymore. I decided to go to a place on the way home that I felt aligned more with my values and beliefs surrounding the state of the world. Support those who align with your views has become my new motto. Zack’s. Farm to Table. Yum. I called and ordered takeout. I needed something quick so that I could get back home to get ready for my hiking trip.
As I’m driving home I realize that nothing special happened for a reason today. Was my intuition wrong? Maybe I was just trying to make myself feel better about the situation.
I get to Zack’s, run in, and head to the register. My food will be right out. I’m talking to the lady at the register just about whatever, probably the state of the world because what else did we talk about back then. Soon a guy comes over from behind the counter and joins in on the conversation. I’ve seen him before. I’ve actually talked to him before not too long ago. He was wearing a pair of barefoot shoes that I’ve had my eye on for quite a while so I struck up a shoe conversation. But this time was different. This wasn’t just some casual shoe conversation with him as my waiter on an evening out to dinner. No. This was something else. We talked about all the things. I don’t even know what all we talked about, but we were connected. Were those sparks that I saw flying? He pulled out his phone and his screen was red. So was mine! Blocking that blue light. I have never seen this on another humans phone out in public. Amazing! After connecting over that and all of the other things I really had to get going so I said goodbye and headed out the door.
I couldn’t stop thinking about this guy, Mitch.
Is this The Reason!?
It can’t be… or can it?
And so I get home, stress pack for hiking, and head on my trip early the next morning.
I hike, hike, hike and what a great trip it was. All the while I’m thinking about this guy from this restaurant that I happened to randomly stop at all because my computer died.
I get back from my trip by the next weekend and head back for more food. Takeout.
I get there and he’s nowhere to be seen. Dang! I have to wait for my food to be ready so I have a seat at the bar. I keep looking around for him to appear and it isn’t happening. Oh well, at least I don’t have to cook. Finally, my food comes out and so does Mitch! We have a short and sweet exchange and I’m on my way once more.
I get in my car and go to snack on my food because I have a 30 minute drive home and I’m starving. Two boxes sit on my passengers seat. I pull the top one off and see a note with a phone number on the bottom box. What?!
I already know that I’m going to be texting him but I wait until the next day to do so. I craft this unusual and comical text message, a true test to see how he reacts. The reaction is good and so is the conversation that we have. In fact, from that point on we have not stopped talking.
In the beginning we’d spend hours at the restaurant talking. And then we’d spend hours in the car or in nature talking. And then we’d spend hours wherever else talking.
I went from a strict 10 pm bedtime to staying up until 4 am talking. So many words spoken!
Throughout all of that we learned a lot about each other and embodied the essence of going “all in.” We built a foundation of open and honest communication and trust before taking any more steps in the relationship. And then step by step, brick by brick we began to build our sacred relationship. Now we’re engaged and we’re doing the thing. And yes, we have challenges but the way that we pivot and overcome them says it all. It requires awareness from both people. Awareness and grace for whatever we bring up in that space.
Here’s the thing about relationships, a lot of people settle. Heck, that was almost me. It’s easy to do. Something that is mediocre or okay is way harder to leave than something that is absolutely horrible. And a lot of people are in mediocre relationships for one reason or another. Sure, that’s part of some people’s paths but I don’t think it has to be part of as many people’s paths as it is. We all know those couples who just have it going on. They don’t just love each other, they’re truly and deeply in love with each other. Not in that crazy obsessive and unhealthy way that crashes and burns, but in the way that you can tell is just so right. A beautiful simmer.
What you desire is what you deserve.
Have the hard conversations.
Share the secrets.
Express the emotions.
Get uncomfortable.
Go all in.
