He's Still the One

Follow My Bliss at http://followbarbsbliss.blogspot.com/ inspired me to write this tonight as Ty and I celebrate our first Valentine's Day together in over 30 years. (Yup, not a typo.)

We met in our early 20s – wanderlust for me. I ended up on Oahu after travelling cross-country with a friend and met up with other friends living in Kaneohe. Ty is Hawaiian, living all his life on Oahu. Ty and I worked for the same tour company in Hawaii. To say we didn't hit it off initially would be underemphasizing our initial disdain for each other. Yet somehow things changed, and we began dating each other off and on for about a year.

A trip home to Boston for my packing to move permanently to Hawaii proved the test of our relationship. My dad's stroke, Ty's resulting visit to Boston, the differences in the pace of our lives, attitude, and cultural habits were amplified by our immaturity. It was disastrous for our relationship. With little discussion resulting with no commitments made, our relationship just laid in limbo. Ty returned to Hawaii and I stayed in Boston. Except for one phone call to say 'goodbye' did we not speak again.

Fast forward almost 30 years later with a fax I sent him to ask his assistance in recommendations for my sister's travel - of course with a brief intro ‘hi-how’s life been for you over the past 20 something years’ - really with no other motive behind the request just to inquire how life was going for him. Four months later I received an email from him.

For over a year we re-connected via email and got to know each other again about our disparate lives. I had married and divorced, had two children and pretty much stayed in the New England area. He continued working in the tourism business, never married nor had children. It was apparent that each of us was in a ‘good’ place in time to become reacquainted. And so it goes. After many emails and frequent flyer miles to Hawaii and Boston, our home is now in Boston together.

Something to be said about a mature love. It’s the right time, the right place. Happy Valentine's Day!