Have you ever needed something

And never knew it

Until you got it?

We both parked at the same time

We both got out of our cars at the same time

We both walked up towards the building at the same time

I hadn’t seen her in years

 .          .          .I didn’t even know she still was with the agency

And  THERE  she  was.          .          .

Tearful,

Heart-heavy-burdened down

Not just with her computer and nursing bag

Wheeling behind her

Tears

We stopped and hugged

Right there in a middle of

A        M O M E N T

There she was

There I was

Unplanned

Unscripted

Yet perfectly scene’d

In a backdrop of a cloudy sky

That dropped over the Lake

B R U I S E D

B E A T EN

From a storm

Far away

And yet not quite here,

Y        e        t

And the Best news of all—

S           H           E           L           T           E           R

Secured

Safe

Comforting

Assuring

Was in place

And like most times—

Not just seen

Not just recognized

Not just experienced

Until the most absolute

m        o        m        e        n        t

Looking back.          .          .

R e f l e c t I n g

(without a mirror)

I’m   a   little   offended   now

G a l l e d

That she felt/believed

I  was  actually  there  for  her.     .     .

For  her  vulnerability

For  her  tears

For her undressed,

fully naked,

stripped down,

Exposed honesty

And truth.   . .

Which SHOWED ME

What  I  so-

All-the-time-behind-the-curtain-triple-locked-door-of-my-heart

Never-always-so-guarded-very-afraid-FEAR-to-show

.         .         .W  H O was there for W H O.         .         .

At this early

So very CHANCE

(NOT-AN-ACCIDENT)

Maybe-to-never-happen-again-ever-the-same-way-

M      O      M      E      N      T ?

Me for her?

Her for me?

The simple answer is a resounding

Y                 E                 S

As we hugged

Right there

Right then

I realized that what’s Broken

Seldom  is  S H A T T E R E D.         .         .

That often

Maybe more usual than we notice

We get tired

We get disappointed

We’re disillusioned

That

Caring

Compassion

Loving

Giving

Sharing

Accepting

Forgiving

Will get you hurt

.        .       .hurt really bad

Make you wounded

Get you bloodied

E M P T I E D

D E P L E T E D

E X H A U S T E D

.         .         .it’s a paycheck

Not deposited

When needed/expected

An Emotional Withdrawal

That can only be replenished with:

G O      F I G U R E :

Caring

Compassion

Loving

Giving

Sharing

Accepting

Forgiving

Hey.       .       .

Have   you   ever   needed   something

And   never   knew   it   until

You   G O T   I T ?

G E T   I T

and oh my.          .          .

how the clouds part

l

We’ve all heard

A     B     O     U     T          I     T

Before.     .     .

THE   LAW   OF   ATTRACTION

We may all have heard  about it

.        .        .maybe even believe it to be

.        .        .Maybe even have experienced it

like I did recently

with what some would call a

c o i n c i d e n c e

others,

an  a c c i d e n t

others, still:

On PURPOSE

A fulfilled-never-doubt-it’s existence-ever-again

LAW   OF   ATTRACTION.        .        .

I was to meet someone to discuss plans for an upcoming Memorial Service for his mother and he canceled at the last moment when I was already at ‘the meeting place.’   Instead of just heading home, I decided on the fly to just go across the street to get dinner since no one was at home.

A table for one

I was sat at

beside another occupied

table of one.     .     .

She was talking on her phone, sipping from her martini glass and eating from her salad plate all at the same time.        .         .

From the

E         A         S         E         D         R         O         P         P         E         D

sound  of  it–

She was making funeral arrangements as well for her father.     .     .

When she hung up the phone she looked over a my table less than two feet away and remarked,

“WOW, we’re eating and drinking the same thing,”

I smiled over at her and said,

“I hope your’s taste as good as mine,”

.         .          .now this is where it gets eerily interesting:

I began,

“Listen, I don’t mean to be rude, but I couldn’t help but hearing what sounded like you making funeral arrangements for your father.  I’m really sorry.”

“Yes.  It’s been a mess trying to get everything together and planned.  I have two sisters but we don’t get along that well; they’re both from out of town and I’ve been hear taking care of him.  I’m just trying to make everything as nice as he deserves.”

“I do well over 20 funerals a month and I can tell you that it’s really normal for people not to get along at a time like this.  It’s true–It brings out our best and sometimes, mostly, our worst.”

“Where do you do the funerals?”

“Well mostly in this general area, but I also do some in Lorain County, too.  There are a lot of people who may not have a Church home, but deserve a true celebration of their lives and that’s where I’m able to come in and help.”

She named the funeral home and day they were planning to do the Memorial Service for her father.       .        .Wednesday.        .        .

“Wednesday night, at 7:00?  I finished her sentence.        .        .

“Oh my God!  You’re the guy who’s doing my dad’s service!  I can’t believe this!”

“Yes.        .        .I’m sorry”

“Are you kidding me?  This is the greatest thing that could have ever happened to me tonight.  Ever since my dad died in the hospital a couple of days ago I’ve carried this deep pain and grief and now.       .       .”

t        e        a        r        s

“And now for the first time, I feel peace, I mean peace I’ve never felt before–ever!  It’s like he just sat down beside me right here, right now to let me know that everything’s going to be alright.”

“Everything is alright.       .       .”

“I can’t believe this.     .     .no one will ever believe this.     .     .what are the chances out of all the places either of us can be, WE ARE HERE, sitting right next to each other planning the celebration of my dad’s life especially since you were suppose to meet someone else about their mother’s service across the street?”

“I don’t believe in accidents or coincidences.  Everything’s on purpose; you believe that don’t you?”

“How can’t I?”

Well.        .        .

Do  You?

I don’t know the real definition of

THE  LAW  OF  ATTRACTION

but I do know there’s an unnamed

an unnoticed

Caring    Catalyst    Concept:

When you truly Care

When you’re truly Compassionate

You’ll need no GPS

You’ll need no gyroscope

You’ll need no compass

You’ll need no road map

You’ll need no AAA Trip-Tick

You’ll  SHOW  UP

not where you planned

not where you’re directed

but  where  you’re  needed.         .        .

such is the Caring Catalyst Concept.         .         .

a guarantee

more sure than a heart beat

and closer than your next breath.       .       .

Caring

Compassion

assures it.          .         .

See you at a table for one