I was introduced to Diane through a coworker in December of 2018. We met over brunch. She ordered the most unique thing on the menu because it would guarantee a new experience. That is so different from my approach.
She knows the coast better than I do. She used to live in San Francisco. She has traveled the world. She moved back to Vietnam for a year. She has done a month-long silent meditation retreat. She’s a therapist. I was immediately smitten.
Five months later, we became exclusive. Two weeks after that, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her treatment was grueling. Instead of staying home to recover, she would set up a tent next to a stream at a nearby campground. She found the sound of the water meditative and healing.
Ten months later, we were set to fly to Mexico City to celebrate her being cancer-free. The week we were scheduled to leave, the Bay Area went into its first lockdown due to Covid. It’s been an extremely trying beginning to a relationship, but those experiences have also bonded us.
It took us forty-two years to finally find each other. She is my light, and my life is so much more textured and fulfilling with her.