signs, blessings, and things to come

the waiting room was small enough to make us feel familiar. or to realize, at least, that we had to share space until the doctor could tend to our needs.

it was me and joseph; a middle aged man who looked to be asleep in his chair; a woman with a brief case on wheels and a computer in her lap.

i held joseph's hand, knowing that he was anxious about the visit.

suddenly, the man across from us was roused from his half-asleep state. "is that your girlfriend?" he asked joseph.

yes.

"i could tell. i could tell there's a lot of love between you." then the man points to the ring finger on his left hand and looks questioningly at joseph. "why doesn't she have a ring on her finger?"

i laughed. joseph reddened as he explained, "we've been talking about it lately."

"your name's joseph, right?" the man had apparently been paying attention when the secretary called joseph to her window for some documents.

"yes, sir."

"joseph," he restated. "that's a biblical name. proverbs says that God will show favor to a man who takes a wife. you want the favor of God, don't you joseph?"

"yes, sir." (who doesn't want the favor of God, by the way?)

after sharing that he was recently married and grateful for the blessing, the man apparently fell back asleep.

joseph and i later joked about the incident. joseph mused, do you think God's trying to tell me something?

+++

two weeks after the waiting room incident, on november 4th, i celebrated my 33rd birthday, a shiny new obama presidency, and my engagement to joseph. whether or not joseph was heeding a sign, i don't know. but i do count my blessings have great hope for the years to come.

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