A Touching Unusual Testimonial
Nearly 4 years ago (received Jan 2019), a member named William contacted me and we began communicating. At first when I spoke to him on the phone, I was shocked to hear his Louisiana drawl, which I later grew to love. We talked frequently, sometimes several times a day. We had unbelievable similarities going on in our lives. He was a single father fighting for his kids in court. I was a single mother fighting for my granddaughter in court. His family actually had a camp in the same small town in Mexico which has also been a big part of my life too. Both of us were Buddhists. He ended up becoming very involved in my charity work and helped me with multiple projects. The things we had in common were mind blowing. Because both of us were raising kids and required to live in our own states, it took a year before William finally flew to see me. We had a wonderful weekend together. We only shared a simple kiss goodbye, and then both of us went back to our lives. Both of us felt an enormous connection, but both of us were very stuck in our own worlds with being extremely devoted parents. I often teased him that he was a better mother than I would ever be as we could hear each other’s conversations and interactions with our kids while on the phone every day. He was an amazing father and I totally respected that.
The days turned into months and then years. I communicated with William daily, sometimes for hours on end, giving each other love and support. We sent each other holiday and birthday gifts and learned all the intimate details of each other’s lives. He told me often that he loved me unconditionally. I loved him unconditionally as well. I told him once that often times the same things we love about someone were the same things that keep people apart.
In August 2017, William called and told me that he was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer. It still brings tears to my eyes to think about it.
William fought like the badass that he was. He flew to Mexico to try natural treatments. He tried radiation. He tried every possible treatment he could. He swore he wasn’t going to die because he knew his daughters needed him. By December 2017, he could barely speak or eat. William still managed to shop and send Christmas gifts for multiple children that I was helping with my charity.
I bought an airline ticket to go see William in January 2018. Because he was so sick, and I had my granddaughter full time, I never made that trip. Our interactions gradually decreased in the spring. William was just too sick to communicate as often. My crazy brain made up stories to prevent me from seeing him. And I also was not dealing well with where things seemed to be headed. In May, he got the strength to text out a birthday message to me. That was the last time I had real communication from him. In June 2018 as I was getting off a plane , his sister called to tell me William was passing. They thought it would only be a few hours. When a few hours turned into a couple of days, I was struggling to find a flight to get to see him. His sister and I were in constant communication. She finally messaged me and told me that they thought he was waiting to hear from me so that he could pass. His sister placed the phone next to his ear,and I spoke some final words and said goodbye. William died within an hour. I was at work that day and had to struggle to maintain composure.
I flew out to the memorial for William. Honestly, I was scared to death to go. I rented a car and drove a couple of hours. Walking in to a memorial where you don’t know a soul except the person who died was a very different experience. I had only met him one time at that. His family, mom, sister, brother and kids all welcomed me with open arms. They knew that we were close. I honestly could not explain to them what my relationship was with William . I don’t think I will ever be able to define it. It was a relationship of the heart. It is truly the first positive relationship with a man that I have had in my life. A man who lived in another state who I only met once did more for my spirit than anyone has. To know that he loved me enough that he waited to hear from me before he could die is beyond words.
Not everyone that comes into our lives is meant to be with us forever. I am so grateful to the universe for bringing William into my life. He showed me true unconditional love and he taught me how a real man should behave. I am so happy that I was open enough to not really define what a relationship is supposed to look like. I wrote this message to honor William for being so kindhearted, loving, caring and inspirational in my life. William’s favorite saying/ song was, “Breathe in, Breathe out, Move on. “ It should be fitting for all of us on this journey to finding “the one”. Love doesn’t always come in the package that we think it should. Be open, be brave, and welcome people into your life who inspire you. Thank you William for being that for me.
