Have YOU ever lost YOUR way, forgotten who YOU are, been so overwhelmed with pity or guilt that straight could YOU not think nor see. Has your loving and caring heart been broken or seemingly smashed into a billion pieces by events so tragic or previously unforeseen, that once they have transpired, no longer could YOU tell up from down, right from wrong, good from evil, nor even did it matter?
No matter how or why YOU arrived, on the edge of oblivion did YOU seem to appear, and but nowhere did YOU seem to be able to go except to take the next step into a darkness without a glimmer of light!
And then, from within the vary depths of YOUR SOUL, your true FAITH and BELIEF in GOD ignited the Flame of YOUR SOUL, and ever so lovingly, gently, encouragingly were YOU guided in the right direction, at the right time, at the right place!
I was at such a place, and my FAITH and BELIEF in GOD gave me light, gave me HOPE, gave me direction, gave me riches of heart without equal that will last for time eternal!
In December 1983 I was Honorably Discharged from Service (by choice), and once back in my hometown, at such a place as described above, was I (my fellow Marines had been killed in mass by an act of terror, and I had not been by their side Oct.23rd 1983).
As if a ship without rudder, no matter how I attempted, in one direction could I not tell I was going nor why or how.
Then such spark of Light from within my Soul did once again ignite, for never had my FAITH and my BELIEF in GOD leave it!
One step, and then another did I so take, direction did I once again find, HOPE again did I have that my lifelong dream of finding "the right woman to love and marry, care for, protect, and share Life with, raise children with would someday be fully realized.
Choice be made, steps taken, a job accepted, time passed, such a woman did I meet at the place where I worked (she started after I had already been working there). Chance? I know; "NOT"!
With young son was she. Chance encounters throughout our day, then excuses made to use the office equipment in her office, teamed together to accomplish work assigned tasks, and then a request by me to attend company holiday party together (she agreed). Dating, yes. Introductions to Family, and time so very well spent. Outings with Mother and son so well spent!
To my Father was she at first introduced, and to mutual surprise to the both of them (and to me), a common link did they share; her son was the Grandson of one of my Father's best friends. Think about that for a long moment, was this truly a chance encounter (she had moved from Florida, back to New York where millions of people live and work). She and I had chosen to work at the same company, in the same year, and had literally bumped into each other time and time again until finally of mutual planning. Yes we had made choices to move things along (but were not the choices presented at so timely a fashion and in so timely a manner, in reality, by design, as if steering questions of a seasoned professional, but in this case the Will of God, an answer to one so strong and firm in FAITH, of BELIEF).
More choices made, more time elapsed, united as Family, dream a work in progress, joyfully (yes with bumps along the way, as with any journey of merit). More children did come, a house became Home. Life shared, Love evolved and grew. FAITH and BELIEF in GOD without question.
Jobs did change as was necessary, but the love within the hearts of each of us grew stronger by the day.
Choices had we all daily, choices did we all make, daily (but again, was not GOD'S HAND still at work). For on November 7th, 2014, again was I in my hometown, six buildings away from where I had first met my wife, celebrating the Wedding of "that once young boy" (the Grandson of one of my Father's best friends, a friend that had lent my Father use of his car to drive my Mother to the hospital to have their first son). And although both men are now deceased, I know within my mind, heart and Soul, from Heaven did they so lovingly watch again standing side by side,
And the bride to whom Joseph Samuel Mayo married, the woman of whom so completely swept Joseph off his feet, Theresa LoManoco Mayo, could not be of more loving and faithful heart nor could her presence add more joy to our hearts than what is felt by all this day.
On Saturday morning, November 8th, 2014, before breakfast a walk did I take from the hotel next to where the reception had been only hours before; I walked up to that building where first I had met the woman with whom Life is now shared, and no longer is the company we had once worked for there. Now it is a New York State Lottery Claims Office (a place where people now go to claim their prize).
I realized at that moment, that I had won the grandest of all jackpots, for I had now fulfilled (by the Grace of GOD, and with my FAITH and BELIEF in HIM), my lifelong dream; To find the woman, Diane Pattnosh O'Leary, of my dreams, a better Wife or Mother of our children could not I have, to have a Family, to love them, to protect them, to provide for them, to share with them, to see them grow and stand upon their feet with FAITH and BELIEF making choices right for them, and to feel the Love within all our hearts (Diane, Joe, Theresa, Michael, Anna, and soon to be Son-in-law, Danny, and of course , me).
I continued my walk along streets once traveled so long before, passing a Parish (Saint Pius) where a brother once wed his equally wonderfully magnificent woman of his dreams. I passed what was once her family's house and realized within mind, heart, and Soul, that he too had hit his jackpot, as have so many millions of others, seemingly by choice (or was it, truly?).
So wonderful a walk did I finish, with not a tear left within my body, for so joyful was my heart, that a waterfall of joy did I experience, giving praise to the true Architect of such Joy's design.
I sat in our assigned room, filled with loving hearts as all ate breakfast, and took one step back in mind, in heart, in Soul and marveled at how many lives had been touched ever so profoundly by so simple an act some 30+ years ago, for a choice had been made, a Journey started, one step, and then another, followed by as many as necessary to arrive at where I now sat. That circle had been completed, as I'm sure YOU too have completed one or more already.
Today another step do I now take, firm in FAITH and BELIEF in GOD, may YOU also. Shall WE begin?
