#8

A Love story.

"Every year as long as I will live," those were the words he said when we were on the phone one night a few years ago.

When I was a freshman, I got a part-time job here at Point Loma as a phon-a-thon caller. Not the greatest job, but I actually started to enjoy it after awhile, everyday I got to talk to alumni (mainly elderly) and hear them tell me stories about their lives at Point Loma and after Point Loma. Stories I never would have heard if I hadn't tried desperately to get them donate money for scholarships at their old school.

One night I had a very interesting conversation with an old man and I kept this conversation to myself over the years. I wanted to keep it to myself because I found it so beautiful and special, I guess you can say I was being a bit selfish with this beautiful story. I didn't tell anyone, not my best friends, not the boy I was dating at the time, not my sisters, not even my mom. No one. I knew one day I would share it, I thought perhaps I would share it with my husband one day or maybe my future daughter but I recently decided to share it with each one of you. Maybe because I am running out of things to write about or maybe just because I feel like you too need to hear this captivating love story around Valentine's day. So that you know, even if you are alone there is still so much hope!

The conversation started the same way I normally started them, I asked the man how he was, how he liked Point Loma, and continued with trying to get him to contribute to scholarships. He asked me if I knew the date I said yes today is March 4th. He replied by telling me that if I was wondering why he had hoist the flag it was because his wife would have been turning 85 today. If she were still alive.

I told him that I really thought that was a very sweet thing to do. The old man agreed and said "I will keep doing this every year as long as I will live."

While listening to him telling me about his beloved wife a warmth spread in my chest and my eyes were prickling. Eventually after a long conversation about how much he loved and how blessed his life had been because of her, I wished him a nice day and ended the call.

I had a smile glued to my face for the rest of the night. Not because he gave a large donation to the school but because of the picture I had stuck in my head of an old man looking up at the flag pole in his backyard and smiling.

This made me believe in love. True love that lasts forever. And I kept this story to myself because I loved it so much, but I want to share it now. I need the reminders, I need to be reminded that love lasts forever, that there is prove that love lasts forever, because you have seen it then, and then, and then.

I challenge you to share a true love story about someone you know; your parents, or grandparents, or someone who shared their love story with you. I challenge you to remind yourself and remind me that there is love that lasts forever. Please share it, help me believe.