Intersecting Lines
- Paul Cotter
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
How fortunate we are when our life path intersects with the path of someone we were destined to meet. When that happens, our lives are enriched immeasurably.
The pivotal person we meet could be a love interest, a close friend, a neighbor, a mentor. It could be anyone who changes the trajectory of our lives – someone who completes the missing half of the puzzle that is us. And sometimes the story behind the first chance encounter underscores the serendipity of it all.
Our friends Barbara and Gene met at an out-of-town work conference in 1970 and were irresistibly drawn to each other. By the time the weekend was over, they knew they were meant to be together. They got married and were inseparable through their 45 years together, repeating their wedding vows each anniversary until Gene’s death in 2015. The bond they shared was as close as anything I’ve ever seen between two people. They fit together like a hand in a glove.
A former colleague of mine, Jim, met his future wife at a happy hour one Friday night after work. Someone who witnessed their meeting marveled, "They saw each other across the crowded bar and it was like sparks flew between their eyes. The connection was instantaneous."
Perhaps Rumi knew the secret when he said, "Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're in each other all along."
I met the missing half of my puzzle when I was 16. Bonnie and I were friends and we both attended a summer party where alcohol was served. (Yes, I know, drinking in high school – not legal, not the best idea.) They ran out of mixers, so Bonnie and I volunteered to walk to a nearby convenience store to pick up some ginger ale. On our way back to the party, we found ourselves holding hands. And then we started dating.
My father recognized that Bonnie and I were an ideal match for each other, with many shared interests including tennis, writing and photography. He told me: “You’re lucky that your girlfriend is also your best friend.” Bonnie and I became husband and wife one year after college, and we’ve been married for 46 years.
Think of the special people whose lives have intersected with yours. Think of the unique circumstances that brought your paths together like the reeds and leaves in the frozen pond pictured above. This auspicious converging of paths helped to make you who you are.
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