April 6, 2022. A day that changed everything.

I had been at Potomac Valley for a month, stuck in bed with no visitors except the staff. The only time I left my room was for physical therapy, and even that was a battle. I was terrified of COVID, so I refused to go anywhere else. My world had shrunk to the four walls of my room and the occasional trip down the hall for rehab.

Then came my afternoon Geriatric Nurse Assistant (GNA) Calissta—my angel in scrubs. She saw something in me that I couldn’t see in myself: the need for connection, for something beyond the fear that had kept me isolated. One night, she had a plan.

“Let’s get you dressed up,” she said, pulling out my nicest smock. She even helped me fix my hair into a ponytail.

I felt silly. What was the point? But she just smiled and said, “Don’t worry. I’ll introduce you to a nice man named Joe.”

She wheeled me out of my room, down the hall, my heart pounding with every turn of the wheels. What if this was a mistake? What if I regretted stepping out of my comfort zone?

We stopped at a table where three people were already sitting. And then—I saw him.

A grey-haired man in a wheelchair turned his head, lifted his hand, and said, “Hi, I’m Joe.”

SNAP! Just like that, love at first sight.

Some love stories take time to grow. Others are written in the stars, waiting for the right moment to unfold. Ours was a little bit of both—a journey of patience, faith, and a nudge from a kindhearted nurse.

It reminds me of Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 1-4). Here’s a recap of the bible story.

Ruth, a young widow, follows her mother-in-law, Naomi, to Bethlehem. She gathers leftover grain in Boaz’s field to help them survive. Boaz, a kind and wealthy man, notices her kindness. Following Naomi’s advice, Ruth asks Boaz to marry her. He agrees, and their family line leads to King David.

That’s how love can find us even in unexpected places, even when we least expect it. 

And if I had to put it to a soundtrack? Definitely Whatta Man by Salt-N-Pepa.

Listen Here 🎶

Sometimes, love finds you when you’re not even looking. And when it does—you just know.

To be continued…