Anniversary

Ten years ago today FD and I had our first date.

We met at Venice Beach and walked and walked and walked, all day.

We sat at the drum circle while the sun went down. A man from Africa approached us, put his hands on our foreheads and said a blessing. He had the most incredible smile. I will never forget his smile. He was one of those people who seemed to float above the earth and just illuminated goodness. He was a stranger, but we felt honored that he chose us out of everyone. We were singled out. We were invincible.

It was a magical day. It was the beginning. It's hard to remember that day without an overwhelming sadness, to think about how little we knew, how life would change us, how we would one day become different people.

I was so innocent. I believed like most 22 year olds that anything was possible. I don't know, I still feel that way at 32, that anything is possible. I am always hopeful, concentrating on that thread, that tiny thread of hope, where the fabric has worn away, washed away in waves and sunlight. It's there, stuck in the sand, under layers of rock and clay just waiting to be dug up, to see another sunset and listen to the sounds of drum beats in Venice beach.