Foreword:
Sometimes,wecrosspathswithpeoplewhoturnouttohaveasignificantimpactonourlives.Wemaymeetthemwhenweleastexpectit,andinthemostunexpectedplaces.Thesechanceencounterscanleadusdownunexpectedpaths,andchangethecourseofourlivesforever.Thisisastoryaboutonesuchencounterthatchangedeverything.Itwasanordinaryday,andIwasonmywaytowork.AsIwalkedthroughthecrowdedstreets,Inoticedawomanwalkingtowardsme.Atfirst,Ididn'tpaymuchattentiontoher,butasshegotcloser,Icouldn'thelpbutnoticehowstrikingshelooked.Shehadlong,flowinghairthatcascadeddownherback,andhereyeswereabrilliantshadeofblue.Aswepassedeachother,Icouldn'thelpbutturnmyheadtowatchherwalkaway.Ididn'tknowwhy,buttherewassomethingaboutherthathadcaughtmyattention.Icontinuedonmywaytowork,buttheimageofherstayedwithmethroughouttheday.
Thatevening,asIwasleavingwork,Isawheragain.Thistimeshewasstandingatthebusstopacrossthestreet.Ihesitatedforamoment,thendecidedtogooverandtalktoher.AsIapproachedher,Ifeltnervousandunsureofmyself.Butassheturnedtofaceme,IrealizedthatshewasjustassurprisedtoseemeasIwastoseeher.Westruckupaconversation,andsoonfoundourselveslaughingandjokinglikeoldfriends.Itwasasifwehadknowneachotherforyears.Asthebusarrived,weexchangednumbersandpromisedtokeepintouch.Iwatchedassheboardedthebus,andrealizedthatIhadjustexperiencedaserendipitousmoment.
Overthenextfewweeks,wetalkedonthephoneandwentoutonafewdates.Eachtimewemet,IfeltlikeIwasgettingtoknowherbetter,andIcouldn'thelpbutfeelthattherewassomethingspecialabouther.Oneday,aswewerewalkingthroughthepark,sheturnedtomeandsaid,"Ihavesomethingtotellyou."Icouldtellfromherexpressionthatitwassomethingserious.Shewentontotellmethatshehadbeendiagnosedwithaseriousillness,andthatherdoctorshadgivenheronlyafewmonthstolive.Iwasstunnedbythenews,anddidn'tknowwhattosay.Butaswesatthereinthepark,IknewthatIwantedtobethereforher.Ipromisedtostandbyherside,nomatterwhathappened.
Astheweekswentby,ourrelationshipgrewstronger.Wespenteverymomenttogether,cherishingthetimewehadleft.Asherillnessprogressed,wemadethedecisiontogetmarried.Itwasabittersweetmoment,butwebothknewthatwewantedtospendwhatevertimewehadlefttogetherashusbandandwife.Weweremarriedinasmallceremony,surroundedbyourclosestfriendsandfamily.Itwasabeautifulday,andIfeltgratefultohavefoundsomeonewholovedmesodeeply.Afterthewedding,wewentonatriptogether.Itwasthefirsttimewehadbeenawaytogether,anditwasmagical.Weexplorednewplacesandmadememoriesthatwouldlastalifetime.
Asourtripcametoanend,wereturnedhomeknowingthattimewasrunningout.Buteveninthefaceofsuchadversity,weremainedhopeful.Daysturnedintoweeks,andweeksturnedintomonths.Butevenasherillnessprogressed,weremainedstrong.Weweredeterminedtomakethemostofeverymomentwehadleft.Astheenddrewnear,wesattogether,holdinghands.Shelookedatmeandsaid,"Iloveyou."Thosewerethelastwordssheeverspoke.Inthedaysthatfollowed,Iwaslostwithouther.Ididn'tknowhowtogoonwithoutherbymyside.
Butastimepassed,Icametorealizethatshehadleftmewithsomethingspecial.Shehadshownmewhatitmeanttolovesomeonedeeply,andtocherisheverymomentwehavewiththosewelove.Istillthinkabouthereveryday,butIknowthatsheisalwayswithme.Hermemorylivesoninmyheart,andIamforevergratefulforthechanceencounterthatbroughtustogether.Intheend,ourlovewasnotmeasuredinyears,butinmoments.Andthosemomentswereenoughtolastalifetime.Sometimes,ittakesachanceencountertoremindusofwhattrulymattersinlife.Andforme,thatchanceencounterchangedeverything.
