Lessons learned, love

Hello world-wide-web, God bless us on this day of lovers, Lord. We are all lovers and we are striving to learn how to love and live better. Continue to guide us, Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen. As I drove to the store this morning for the ingredients to make a meatloaf, and get some delish sides to go with the the meatloaf, I looked at the patchy bedspreads of snow on the ground. For Texas, this snow is a HUGE event. We don't get snow, and certainly not a foot of it. We broke records. Well the snow reminded me of the winter Olympics and of one particular skier; I think she is a skier. At any rate, I remember she is from Montana. Remembering she is from Montana reminded me of a guy I knew from Montana, SP. Since today is also Valentine's day, I thought about SP more than the skier, the Olympics, or Montana. I don't think SP ever liked Texas. In fact, I would venture to say that he probably started preparing to leave our great state as soon as he arrived. He stayed here for six plus years too long. SP was the epitome of a 'rugged individualist'. He reminded me of a cowboy, but not a Texas cowboy; a cowboy from Montana. He loved to watch "Deadwood." He didn't have many friends, but the friends he did have were fiercely loyal. He had a dry sense of humor, a tendency to be crabby, and moody, but we got along all right. I met SP when I moved into the apartment above his. I remember him "rigging up" his cable in order to share with me and the guy who lived above me (we were in a three story building). He ran the cable wires outside his apartment through his porch, connecting them to my t.v. through my porch, and covered the evidence, pretty flimsily, with fake vines. I didn't make the big bucks then that I do now, LOL, so I was grateful for the gesture. SP was giving with his money: whenever we went out to eat he always paid; if you were in a bind, he'd loan you his time. Did I mention he was attractive? The bluest eyes I've ever seen. Not that tall, but what he lacked in stature he made up for with his 'round 'em up' Montana cowboy spirit. We remained friends until he moved to Chicago in 2005. We didn't keep in touch, but I'm grateful for the friendship we had. Thinking upon the Olympics again reminds me of the terrific rendition kd lang did of Leonard Cohen's: "Hallelujah" Now I've heard there was a secret chord That David played, and it pleased the Lord But you don't really care for music, do you? It goes like this The fourth, the fifth The minor fall, the major lift The baffled king composing Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah Your faith was strong but you needed proof You saw her bathing on the roof Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you She tied you To a kitchen chair She broke your throne, and she cut your hair And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah Baby I have been here before I know this room, I've walked this floor I used to live alone before I knew you. I've seen your flag on the marble arch Love is not a victory march It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah There was a time you let me know What's really going on below But now you never show it to me, do you? And remember when I moved in you The holy dove was moving too And every breath we drew was Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah You say I took the name in vain I don't even know the name But if I did, well really, what's it to you? There's a blaze of light In every word It doesn't matter which you heard The holy or the broken Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah I did my best, it wasn't much I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you And even though It all went wrong I'll stand before the Lord of Song With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah, Hallelujah Hallelujah "I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa