Mr. Jones And Me

     Did you ever meet someone and know you were meant to know them? Even if they are only a part of your life for a short time. I've felt that way. On an ordinary afternoon in September of '98, I was standing in the gym at my job where I worked with children with developmental disabilities. I was feeling frustrated as I reflected on the "boys" I had been wasting my time with. My sister had just gotten married. When was I going to find someone who wouldn't think I was too smart or tell me that I think too much? I said to myself. That's it, I'm done with  self-centered jerks. I looked across the room, and there he was. Sitting on the heater, laughing with one of his students. I had seen him around, but I had always thought he seemed "too nice." Suddenly I saw him differently. A man who clearly loves these kids. A man who can love and give of himself. And I said to myself, that's the kind of guy I should marry. And on June 29, 2003 I did. Somewhere in between, though, I had a revelation. I remember the moment it happened. We had be dating a couple of weeks, but had been friends for months. He kissed me. I opened my eyes and looked into his. I saw myself staring back at me. And I knew. This was THE man I had been waiting for. I already knew him. I had always known him. Our souls had been connected for eternity, and would be connected for the rest of it. I can recall only two other times when this has happened. When I saw my own reflection in the eyes of another, that is. Both times I was looking into the beautiful brown eyes of an infant who I knew was sent from heaven to be mine. My life had been changed forever. My destiny was directly linked to who these children would become. I believe that the four of us are eternally connected to each other.
     Mr. Jones and my mini-mes are not the only ones I feel this soul connection with, although they are certainly the ones with whom I feel it most strongly. My parents and sister, of course, but I don't  remember meeting them. I do, however, remember meeting my brother-in-law on the phone. He called to speak to my sister. Immediate connection. I also remember the moment at the bus stop on the corner of Wilken Lane (I was 3) when I met "Tracie's little sister" as well as a year later on the playground at Loretta Park Elementary School when I finally met "the other Melissa" and the three of us became BFFE's. A bond beyond friendship that I know transcends this lifetime. And most recently, I remember the moment I introduced myself  to "Alysia's mom," and the first conversation I had with "Mia's mom." I remember these moments because they stand out in my mind as days when my life changed. When I felt the Great Plan coming together as these people who were destined to shape my life came into it.
      I am amazed at how intertwined our lives can be with other people's. I can't help but wonder when I meet new people how our lives will become linked. Why were they sent to me? Why was I sent to them? What do they have to offer me in terms of their wisdom or experience?  I already told you that I don't believe in coincidence. It's exciting isn't it? To think that your whole life could change in a moment when you meet someone who was destined to become a part of it forever. It could be a monumental event like the birth of a child. Or it could be something so mundane as seeing your new neighbor walking down the block and realizing that she has a child the same age as yours....instant connection. This, my friends, is the essence of HOPE. Knowing that your life has a plan and accepting that you can't see the details of the future. Realizing that tomorrow could be the day when you look across the room and see the man of your dreams. The woman you bumped into yesterday at the Book Fair could someday become your daughter's mother-in-law. You never know......you never can tell....but you can have faith that there is a plan beyond your understanding....and if you have faith, you can always have hope.