Back in September of 2011, I had the pleasure of meeting one of the best humans on this planet. I didn’t know it at the time, never expected it or saw it coming, which is much like most of life, right? You search and search for what you want and desire and it’s not until you give up, throw in the towel, say eff it and take a swig of a bitter drink called life.

And then there it is. LOVE. Just staring you in the face.

At least, that’s what happened to me. I was living in Hawaii. I would say it was a hot, sunny day but it always was there. It’s always hot and sunny. Even when it does rain, it’s but for a fleeting moment. You only need wait five minutes and the sunshine is back.

Well, here we were. In one of those moments when you can look back at any given time and say, “THAT is the moment where my life shifted it’s direction. Where my heart woke up. THAT is when my feet found the ground and my vision came into focus.” And you smile, because it’s such a beautiful, defined moment for you. For all involved.

She introduced herself. I introduced myself and as I did so, she made this face, along with a half nod. Almost to herself, as if no one was watching. Except I was. It was such a small gesture with a major impact on me. She doesn’t even remember it. I do. I will, forever. So, we are in this place of introductions and faces. I don’t realize that my life is reshaping itself and yet nothing is the same anymore.

We became friends in a slow, lullaby sort of way. A ballad that starts slow and builds into a jam. Chock full of laughter and all the best movies over coffee and lunch. I carry so much baggage in my heart and in my mind and yet she patiently waited for it to start to spill forward. She listened to me, kept up with my wit, challenged me. Won me over with her smile.

And then I met her mother. Now, don’t get me wrong. Her entire family is AMAZEBALLS and fun. But her mom. When she hugged me, she really hugged me. Now, I’m not trying to get all Andie Anderson, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, on you. I mean, I love that movie and all (Krull, the Warrior King!) but this was IT. And while I can’t keep a love fern alive for the LIFE of me we can play an awesome game of Bullshit.

There’s something to be said about who people are to you when they take you in. How genuinely they show care. How willing they are to get to know you and give you a chance. Obviously, this isn’t Ku and I’s whole story, but it is definitely the beginning. What I want to say is this, it is never too late to rewrite your first draft. If you aren’t with someone who gave you a cryptic look that you STILL think about, even five years later, YOU NEED A CHANGE. The only rut is the one you neglect to remove yourself from. I firmly believe it.