Rue sighed as she stared out the window and admired the beautiful sunset. Reliving memories was where she found solace, it was her happy place. She picked up from where she left off and decided to audio journal. Rue tapped the record button on her laptop and began talking…
“For years I enjoyed the prestigious lifestyle my boyfriend offered me. I foolishly believed him when he told me that he would marry me. Well, that never happened because he dumped me. As usual, I ran to my best friend and cried nonstop on his shoulder. He assured me that he wasn’t going anywhere and everything would be okay. His comforting words made me cry even harder because I knew that he had every right to say: I told you so. He told me to leave that guy because this would happen. I heard him, but I didn’t listen. He held me a little tighter and let me cry until I tired myself out and given myself a terrible headache.”
He saw in me the hidden parts of my soul that even I couldn’t see.
“For as long as I can remember, my late husband was always a part of my family; he and I were truly best friends. He was the very voice of reason that I needed, but always objected because his truths went against every selfish want and desire I welcomed into my life. He saw in me the hidden parts of my soul that even I couldn’t see. He never gave up on me and continuously pushed me to become a better version of myself, holistically. He encouraged me to never settle for any form of mediocrity in my life.”
“After my breakup and throughout my healing process, he refused to allow my spirit to remain broken. He spoke words of affirmation over me and words of life into my soul. He prayed over me when I couldn’t express to God what I was feeling or even thinking. He covered me; if it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have healed. My healing process lasted for three years; on the day of my restoration, he asked me to enter into a committed relationship with him. We dated and when I was ready to commit to him in marriage, he proposed and married me.”
Rue continued to record her thoughts. “By this time in my life, I was able to see the potential he saw in me all along. I was no longer afraid of possibly failing if I stepped out on faith. This life, my new life, became my reality! I was ready to walk in my purpose boldly and unashamedly. The best part of it was having by my side the man who saw things coming into fruition for me many years before they happened. God allowed me to marry my best friend, and I loved my husband with every fiber in my body.”
I didn’t love him for what he could do for me. I loved him for everything he was to me throughout my lifetime.
“Society loves to place a gauge on love and marriage. You see, when you set the bar low with boundaries and stipulations in your marriage, you diminish the institution in its entirety. Your minimum efforts becomes your highest standard and anything done above that level: you label as ‘putting in hard work.’ Now you’re wondering: Is he really worth it…Is she really worth it? Do I want to remain with her or Do I want to remain with him ‘til death do us part? All of this points to value and whether or not you value your mate.”
“Individually, each person chooses how to solidify their marriage. For us, God solidified ours. We maintained our relationship with Christ individually and as a unit. This key component led us to understand the importance of valuing one another. The value my late husband and I placed on each other was high and neither one of us had a desire to step outside of our marriage. I can say this because we discussed this with one another honestly and openly. We accepted and loved one another for whom we were individually, not for whom we needed to be according to society’s list of guidelines…”
The tap on Rue’s bedroom door interrupted her recording. Naima opened the door, peaked her head in and whispered, “He called you, so I invited him over….he’s dressed nicely and is waiting for you in the guest room.” “Who?” Rue asked. “Oh, and he’s joining us for dinner too,” Naima whispered. “Who!?” Rue asked. Naima smiled and quickly shut the door…
Look out for the next installment of this short story series by Lynnette Easter!
