All excited to meet my love ... 25 years!

In a world where love seems to be more and more fleeting anymore, and true love appears to be less terrestrial, I have been in love with her for a quarter century.

A love that has never wavered.

An unconditional love, despite not getting anything in return.  Not even a glance in my direction.

She is quite a charmer--very few have ever charmed me like she has over the twenty five years.

I first laid my eyes on her in graduate school.  

I was a naive graduate student from India with youthful dreams, and it was so easy to fall for her.  I knew she had a long line of fans.  I too joined that line.  But, I never felt jealous of the others in the line.  In fact, it was a case of love, like misery, loving company.

Over the years, I made many plans to spend time with her.  But, until a few years ago, I was married, and it is not always easy to work such deep love for another when the spouse has other plans.  "Some day" I told myself.

Meanwhile, my daughter said she was going to visit with this love of mine.  She didn't know, until she described her idea, how much I had been longing to visit with this love.  Yet, she didn't want to take the father along with her, and I told myself, "some day."

My daughter returned with stories that added fuel to that decades of fire.  My love was beautiful in the photographs.  My daughter was immensely happy, and I was even beginning to feel a little bit of jealousy towards my daughter.

Now, I am only days away from meeting my love.  

Oddly enough, I am not at all nervous. It can't be because of my middle age.  I get nervous about so many issues even at this age, yet the thought of meeting my love of twenty-five years doesn't make me agitated even one bit.  

Perhaps I am confident that I won't be let down.  I am confident that she will only treat me well.  Not like some of my other loves.

I will soon find out.

Wish me well, dear reader.  After all, such love is rare these days, and don't you want this story to end well with a "happily ever after"?