The Bell Story

There’s a story about this bell…
I got it from my mother’s friend 23 years ago and have never once put it on a tree.

I was 19 and a newly single mother.
She told me…. “One day you will hang this on a tree with a man who loves you and makes you feel safe.”

I kept this bell year after year.
Usually, I’d cry when I pulled it out trying to imagine what that really felt like.
Safe.
Honestly, I just couldn’t really imagine it…

Gregg messaged me for 5 months… pursuing me the entire time with patience and kindness.

And something about that caught my attention…
So I agreed to meet him for coffee.

I was standing at the register and someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned to see this tall sexy Italian man with these huge brown eyes full of kindness and depth.

“Oh…..”
That was the first thing I ever said to him.

We sat down.
On our first date, I cried, and he leaned in.
We laughed, and we shared.

He told me he was feeling a little nervous about dating me because he could see I wasn’t quite ready.

To which my genuine, heartfelt response was… ” well, you’re going to want to decide because of you date me you will fall in love with me.”

I could feel the magic.
I felt something with him I’d never felt before with anyone.

Safe.

As we left the cafe… without looking he reached back to grab my hand.

I was equally surprised and delighted that I wanted to take his hand…

When we got to the parking lot he leaned in to kiss me. It was the kind of kiss I’d always imagined… not the “I want you” kiss… it was the, I adore you kiss.

The rest is history.
As we decorated our first tree together I pulled out the bell and my eyes welled up.

I told him the story and asked him to hang it on our tree.

I am so wildly blessed for the level of gratitude I feel for this man. I wouldn’t change one single moment.

m xx