When Cupid Shoots an Arrow—Don't Duck!

If I had my way, this photo would not have been taken. Dan wasn't the man for me. But God, (and Cupid) had other plans.

I hadn't planned on a third date. Oh my, the first two were a disaster (that's another story). But Dan called a third time and invited me to dinner and to Ford Theatre to see The Fantastics.

I accepted because I was hungry and I wanted to see the Fantastics. You see, as a single girl living in Washington, DC, I spent my paycheck on clothes without budgeting for food.

Dan took me to a fine restaurant and I ate! For two days I had lived on apples and bread, and I was hungry. Watching me, all he could say was, "Wow!" (Years later he joked that he married me because I was the only girl he knew who could eat more than him. I guess somewhere between the cream crab dip appetizer and the cherry cheesecake, cupid's arrow pierced his heart.)

 Later that night, the arrow hit me.

It was 90 degrees on April 9, 1970 in our Nation's Capital. Not expecting the heat, Dan wore a wool sports coat. Ford Theatre, where Abe Lincoln was shot, looked like it did in Abe's day—no air conditioning and tiny seats. It was over 100 degrees in that building; I am sure of it.

Escorted to our seats Dan and I almost laughed, but it wasn't funny. One seat had a perfect view of the stage. The other seat was located behind a pillar built big and wide like in the days of Gone With the Wind. Without thought of his own discomfort or that he paid for the tickets, Dan immediately gave me the better seat and he sat behind the circular pole. His long legs straddled it, his eyes face-to-face within inches of it, the pole blocked his view of the stage.

The Fantastics were, well, fantastic! Poor Dan sat for two hours, unable to see, sweat pouring from his face, and never once complaining about the heat, or the seat, or the girl who finished his dinner after she ate her own.

I looked at him and cupid's arrow hit my heart. All I could think was, This is a quality guy! Five months later we married.

To think, I almost didn't go on that third date. I was ready to give up on him before I saw his true heart. How many miss the love of their lives because they don't take the time to discover the  treasure inside. 

"As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man." Proverbs 27:19

Thanking God today for my Dan—my Valentine for 41 years. 

You can view more cupid stories on Diane Estrella's cupid blog hop: http://www.DianeEstrella.com.

Elaine