I am back in Louisiana for my daddy’s birthday. I try to come every year, although I had an extra trip this past spring when the oldest of the four “boys” passed away after a long, good life that had its share of joys and sorrows. In the way that family reminiscing goes at these times, Daddy began to smilingly recall how my uncle and his wife met. It was during World War II when the two oldest brothers were in the Navy, and managed
somehow to be on leave together. They were from a farm in Arkansas and town was
several miles away. Notwithstanding the small size of the town, there was certainly more going on there than at the farm and in the course of one afternoon, they met up with one of the local teachers that Daddy knew and another young lady teacher who was visiting the friend. They all chatted for a bit and made arrangements to get together that evening; no particular thoughts of romance on Daddy’s mind. Daddy said that as they left, my uncle said something like, “You need to plan on being with Sally (or whatever her name was) because I’m going to be with the other one.” Daddy said he was fine with that, and then my uncle explained it had to be that way because that was the girl he intended to marry. Apparently Daddy assumed my uncle was joking except that my uncle and aunt were married less than three months later and the marriage continued for almost 67 years until his death parted them. In fact, my aunt and uncle
celebrated their fiftieth wedding anniversary in Hawaii when we were stationed there. My husband was in Thailand participating in a big war game at the time and so Dustin and I went down to Waikiki and had dinner with my uncle and aunt. I wish I had known the charming story of their first meeting then, but what I did know was this couple sitting across from us had a palpable sense of happiness even after fifty years.

Sure, you can say, “Well, that was a long time ago, and things like that don’t happen now.” I agree it is easy to mistake “lust at first sight” for love, and I have certainly passed large quantities of tissues to weeping girlfriends who made that error, but as with my uncle and aunt, I have also known one or two other instances where it was
the real thing. How about you?  Anyone want to share thoughts on this one?