Tuesday, June 27, 2017

Solitude and Linda

June 27, 2017

“What’s on your schedule for today?” Before heading to town for breakfast with my friend Willie, I asked the standard morning question. One would think that in retirement, we would share a leisurely breakfast before pottering about the premises for the day. Alas! Things are not quite so sedate around here. Linda told me she was going to meet her friend Lisa for breakfast before keeping an appointment with the chiropractor at 11:30. “Why not meet for lunch together?” I answered.

“Panera?” 

“Sure.” I figured as much. It’s her favorite lunch destination. 

On the way into town for breakfast, all I could think about was meeting her for lunch. Breakfast, our local pastor’s prayer meeting, and a half hour with my friend Cameron at Starbucks all went by in a whirl. While talking with Cameron, I spied another friend having his morning coffee, so went over and sat down to talk with Eric for awhile. At 11:50, it was time to go, so I said my goodbyes and headed out the door. Linda was waiting when I arrived.

I am a private kind of guy. Solitude and I are on a first name basis. Give me a choice between people and solitude, and I’ll choose the latter every time. Except when the other choice is Linda. There’s no one else in the world I’d rather spend time with than her. With anyone else, I run out of things to say, and then it gets awkward. With her, even the quiet times are good. 


Our hour at Panera was over all too quickly, and we each headed home by different routes. The afternoon was filled with other activities, in the early evening we watched all three of our daughter Jessie’s kids playing soccer. Linda went to a meeting and I went home. But for one glorious hour, we sat and talked. My heart is full and I am thankful tonight for this woman God put in my life nearly fifty years ago.

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