Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Valentine (05/16/05)
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TITLE: Stairway to Heaven | Previous Challenge Entry
By Leticia Caroccio
05/20/05 -
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As he carefully lifted the guitar from its case, it glistened in the light. He slowly wrapped the worn strap around him and proceeded to tune it. Then he began to play his beautiful song. He looked straight at me, right into my eyes, touching me deep inside my heart. He then closed his eyes and began to sing. The song was “Stairway to Heaven”.
It is a known fact that before I met Glenn, I fell in love with his time card. His time card was in my slot and as I read the name I thought, “That’s the most beautiful name I had ever seen”. It was a beautiful Italian name that seemed to roll off my tongue. I couldn’t wait to meet him and put a face to the name.
I asked around and found out who he was. Before you know it, I was admiring him from afar. I began to plan on how I would meet him. Then it hit me: send him a secret message. It was a “high school” move but as a shy girl that grew into a shy woman, I didn’t dare do it any other way. My co-worker went and told him that he had an admirer who was too shy to meet him just now. He was very curious but my friend had strict instructions not to divulge my identity.
As time went by, many secret messages later, we decided to meet near the elevators of the main floor of the school we both worked in. It was about 7 am, before class started and I saw him as he was coming down the hallway, lugging his guitar. His guitar case was emblazoned with all the stickers of the many places he had been to with his band.
Glenn was a second grade teacher and liked to play his guitar for his students.
We introduced ourselves and we quickly knew that we had some things in common. We also knew that a friendship would quickly form and that perhaps, just maybe, that a relationship would soon follow.
Glenn and I have been married now for 15 years and we have two wonderful children. Through the years, we have been through the worst that life can throw at you and we have experienced joys beyond compare. We lost our home, two months after buying it, to a fire. We have lost a handful of family members to death. Married couples that we know and love have divorced, splitting up their families. We have cried and we have laughed. And we always had music.
Through it all, in spite of it all, we have endured together. God has dealt mightily in our lives. He has tried us and tested us and we have come through. He has refreshed us when we were overburdened. Glenn and I have grown and matured, although there were times when we really believed that our marriage wouldn’t last. But so far it has.
As I write this account, I can hear my husband still plucking away on his beloved guitar. And I smile. His music has never neglected to bring a smile to my face. As I walk towards his studio I know that I will find him with eyes closed, guitar in hand and music permeating the air.
There have been just a few instances when I have been so angry at my husband that I have considered leaving. All Glenn has ever had to do was play that song and I knew that all would be alright. Not because of the song itself but because of what it represents to us. It’s a song of love and forgiveness and redemption in our marriage. When we hear it, it takes us to a place that we know we once found each other.
We don’t buy gifts for each other anymore on Valentine’s Day; we already have so much. But every once in a while we play our song and we smile. Life has been good. Stairway to Heaven became a connection that led us to each other. The Lord has been the glue that has kept us together.
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I can also really identify with having gone through some hard times together and coming out stronger in our marriage because of the Lord.
And my husband played the guitar to me when we were dating. Now he keeps it at work and I don't get to hear him play to ME nearly enough any more. I guess I'll have to do something about that. (smile)