Romance, Family, Friends, a Birthday

No, the romance didn't involve me, directly, but I was a witness.  My friend and former coworker JoAnn got married for the second time, past age 50, on my birthday yesterday.  It was her second marriage and the first for her husband, who is also over 50,   

I met JoAnn about eight years ago when my office moved to a new building in south Minneapolis.  She was the administrative assistant in the office suite in which I was located.  We hit it off immediately. She was a divorced, single mom to three boys, all of whom had good Swedish names.  Although her ex was involved in the boys' lives, she was the primary parent.  We bonded over men--mostly scoundrels--and cried on each others shoulders more than once over our trials and tribulations.  She had her very own wayway man.  Actually, more than one.

JoAnn is one of the smartest, most talented women I know.  Smart, in a different way than I am.  Analytical, good at math, musical (she plays violin expertly).  Sometimes, these differences in our way of seeing the world have caused us to clash, but we've always managed to work through our differences.

A few years ago, when she was 50, JoAnn decided she wanted to become a nurse and started going after her dream. Now, I'm a direct person and thought JoAnn would never make a good nurse.  But, I'm also someone who can admit my mistakes, and I called this one wrong. I've told her so on more than one occasion. She aced her classes, and is a fabulous, caring nurse.

So, how did her romance happen?  She met her husband-to-be at work.  Her first job, at a large, local hospital was a horrible experience, as was her next job in a nursing home.  But, the third job as a nurse was a charm and that's where she met her dream man, who is also a second career nurse.

Yesterday afternoon, on my 49th birthday, JoAnn's romance took the next step, as she married her dream man Larry.  She was a gorgeous bride who seemed to float on air, as did the groom.  I've rarely seen two adults so happy.  It gave me hope that that romance, that perfect man for me is out there.  It will happen, someday, if I'm patient.

And, a side benefit of the day was that I got to spend several hours with my friend Hilary, who is now married and a mom, which makes our time together more limited than it used to be.  The day started with breakfast with my family, brother and sisters and spouses.  A good birthday.  Faminly bonding, a friend's wedding, spending time with a good friend, and having a 2 1/2 year old sweet boy sing Happy Birthday to me (Hilary's son).

Now, another year to go before the BIG 5-0. How did I get to be this old?