With my daughter only nine years old, I was very discreet in dating and careful about bringing anyone into our home, or in allowing men to meet my daughter. We had lived in our apartment for almost two years before I met my future husband, and it had been four years since the deaths of my husband and my mother.
By this time I wanted to meet someone and felt I was ready. I felt whole again, and more together than ever before, because God now managed my life and I had survived the heartbreaks of loss, both of my husband and my adored mother. I was sure that I could add joy to someone else's life now, with my newfound faith and practice of profound gratitude. I could feel the change in me, and was no longer needy or looking for someone to save me. Instead, I felt stronger because I was now relying on God. So fortified, I was ready to move in the right direction, and open to new possibilities for my future.
One day my neighbor called me at work to ask, "Would you like to go to a party with my brother tonight?" His date had to cancel at the last minute, and the seating arrangements were already made. I said yes and couldn't contain my excitement. And the entire hair salon and everyone in it-the hairstylists, receptionist, and even the clients-were just as excited as I was! They all knew about my longing to meet someone new.The party was formal and I didn't have the proper dress for the occasion. I called my sister-in-law, who lived around the corner, and explained about the sudden, formal blind date. She invited me over to her house to pick out one of her formal dresses to wear on this special date. I chose a beautiful long cream-colored soft crepe gown with a plunge neckline that softly overlapped from one shoulder to the other, making it very feminine but not too revealing. It reminded me of the gowns worn by women of Roman royalty.
My sister-in-law was just as excited as I was, and it made me feel like Cinderella going to the ball. I felt honored by her love and joy as she watched me get ready, and the butterflies in my stomach grew with her excitement. She was like an angel sent from God that day, and I am forever grateful. Although she is close to my age, her wisdom and grace were more like what a mother would have shown a daughter, and it was exactly what I needed at the time.
My date that night turned out to be an airplane pilot and a flight instructor; the party was his friend's fiftieth birthday celebration, and that friend was one of the students he had taught to fly. I was so impressed with him and his ability to fly airplanes. Not only that, but he was very handsome and professional looking, and he wore a suit. When I looked at him, I remembered my mother telling me when I was first widowed that I would meet someone again, and she said she pictured me with a man wearing a suit! Even then, I was still trusting in her wisdom and guidance.My date and I talked and danced all night, and everything aligned perfectly. The beautiful reception room, the dinner, the wine, the music, the suit, and the beautiful borrowed dress all worked their magic. We fell in love that night and dated for just over a year before we decided to set a wedding date.
My future husband laughed when he told me his first impression of me: he thought he had met a rich widow. He said, "You were living as though you were rich by the way you took care of your family." And he said, "I'll never forget how lovely you looked in that beautiful dress that night!" (He didn't know it was borrowed.) We still laugh about this sometimes. I did feel rich, with the scriptural words of prosperity etched in my heart from my daily prayers, along with the gratitude I felt towards those who had lifted me up along the way. I was not as rich materially as others would consider rich, but I was rich in spirit and belief, which is the greatest wealth of all. I was happy and wanted to share the love, joy, and the wealth that were inside me, and to help others rise up in the same way. It is apparent to me now that my trust and faith in God, along with my gratitude, had brought me to my new love and my abundant life that went with it. We all can live a true-life fairy tale when we hold onto our faith and keep believing.
The above excerpt from Imprinted Wisdom is one that I refer to from time to time, since the challenges of a different source are knocking at my door once more. What especially stands out in the former story of long, long ago is the compassion and support from those around me to celebrate my dream come true. This also reminds me of their loving spirit that helped move me from fear to joy and appreciation, in addition to my faith in mom's whispers that continue to bring me confidence. In a way we all have our very own godmother within who is just waiting for our request, one whose fulfillment is already in the making for those of us who believe. Reflecting on the Blessed Mother for me is much clearer in my mature years, realizing the comfort she brings to us all, especially for those without a mother. We all get to choose our own spiritual mother through the traditions and beliefs that we are most comfortable with as we practice our faith.
Our faith might even seem to weaken from time to time, due to relationships in which we've lost human connection as the years go by, even while we're surrounded with unseen love and support. We feel and miss the grandeur of being in a state of grace; this is normal and only making room for change for those who believe and know that a greater force for good is at work. In addition to prayer, reading, and meditation on supporting our soul, there is comfort in recalling that we've already made it through some of our darkest nights using this guidance we put our trust in. There's nothing more promising to recall and consider when we're longing for more help. And the sooner we entertain those concepts, everything will fall into place naturally. Keep believing! And remember, you've done this before. It's even easier now. There are no coincidences; others will show up to make it happen even better than before. Whenever we call on this power of love in the face of despair, the source is before us to go even further. Remember this great way to put our faith to work.
Think of a time when you were in desperate need and everything around you delivered compassionate love and understanding. Recall the wonders that brought you to this place today. I'm still learning to do this, and I hope to encourage you as well. Look around you, and search within for the meaning of those feelings and joys in life right now. Feel them. Celebrate them. Live them in any small measure that you're able while grace does the rest to make your wishes come true. Not just some of them, but all of them. And remember to give thanks over and over for those who will happen to show up for your best fairy tale ending that is still in the making!
About Catherine Nagle: Catherine grew up in Philadelphia with 16 brothers and sisters, reared by loving, old school Italian parents. Catherine's artist father's
works graced locations from churches to public buildings; her mother was a full-time homemaker. A professional hairdresser, Catherine worked in various salons while studying the Bible and pursuing spiritual growth through courses, seminars, lectures and inspirational books, including A Course in Miracles and the works of Marianne Williamson among many others. The mother of two children and a grandmother, Catherine lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and son. She is the Author of Imprinted Wisdom.