I think I knew he was “the one” when I received the letter titled “Dear Chuck” and it was dated March 21, 2021....Chuck’s birthday.
It started off like this:
“Dear Chuck,
I wanted to say Happy Earthly Birthday to you. I’m thinking you might know my life history and what’s happening now, but on the inside, it’s been an amazing few months. As you, Cyndi, Liz and I know, God has been directing our lives for many years. Liz has told me so much about you and your son and his family. I know you were a very special man from everything I’ve read in Liz’s blog. A few week’s ago, she shared the story of her wedding ring and what happened when she went to have it repaired. I will never forget the look in her eyes when she shared that story with me. The love poured out for you and it was beautiful. I’ll never forget it.”
As I read this letter, tears were dripping down my face. I hadn’t shared the story of the ring with many.....only those I knew would understand. And this man understood. We were in the exact same place in our grief process....in our time alone without our partners...and our confusion about the future. See, our spouses died on the exact same day, four hours apart.
The letter went on:
“Liz is an answer to many prayers and continues to make my heart full. I’m not sure what God has planned for us, but I wanted to ensure you that I will treat her with the utmost respect. I will care for and protect her. I believe God gave me an opportunity at this time in my life to know love again and not only with Liz, but with a renewed love for our Lord and Savior. “
Tears are falling even now as I reread this letter to you. He went on to tell Chuck how much he admired him and the courage it took to fight Multiple Sclerosis. His wife, Cyndi, had also fought a long battle; hers with cancer, and he knew the courage and determination it takes to fight such diseases. He knew, because he too had been a caregiver for Cyndi just as I had for Chuck.
This past Tuesday evening, in a plane high above Frisco seven months and 86 dates after our paths crossed and we discovered the definition of Joy again, he had me look out the side window and see the lighted words,
“Marry Me” 1000 feet below. I said “Absolutely Yes”.
It has been both of our prayers since losing Cyndi and Chuck, that if we were meant to find a partner to finish out this 4th quarter of our lives with, that God would make it abundantly clear to us. I believe He answered that prayer in the boldest, most unpredictable way He could. And He sent me Wayne Sekerke.
We will always celebrate Chuck and Cyndi’s Homecoming Day of November 5, 2018....but from now on, we’ll celebrate them together.
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