I was married to "Saint Francis" for about 20 years. Short and round and very attentive to me, he was the kindest man with a heart of gold. Every year he gave 20 turkeys to our church for the poor. While I worked nights as a nurse to put him through college and save for our home, he was working days, first in the Navy, then as a student, then as a programmer. Between us, we raised our son with solid family values.

One night "Saint Francis" came home to tell me he met a young Oriental girl overseas, they fell in love, she was having his baby, and he was leaving me. I took his vital signs and told him he was having a stroke but I'd get help for him right away. lol Only he was not having a stroke. He was having a midlife crisis.

Assuring me he absolutely did not want a divorce, that he would live with her in Hong Kong "only for awhile," and then he would come back to his family, I sent them chocolate chip cookies as a reminder of his family here. Yes I did. Tins of chocolate chip cookies....The kind lady at the post office, who knew my story in our small town, said she felt so sorry for me, trying to keep my family together with tins of cookies when it was obvious his actions did not mesh with his words of continuing love for our family.

After almost 2 years, there came the sudden demand for a divorce, so he could get her immigration paperwork in order and they could be married. I had rugburn from bouts of scream-crying face down into the shag carpet.

Following the divorce, he stopped all financial support and I was on my own and in shock. I had suffered severe stress from all this and did not know if I could ever work a job again without shaking from panic and anxiety.

Every day I went into an empty church and eventually asked God to send me someone who took marriage vows as seriously as I did. Within 2 weeks my prayers were answered.

My son had shown me how to use the Internet at a time when it was in its beginning stages and few women were on there. Guys seemed to be looking for someone with "the right measurements." One fella heard I was a nurse and said I would be the perfect wife to take care of him in his wheelchair. Jeepers! Another met me in a public place and said my ordering a junior ($10) steak from the menu made him realize why I was not skinny, and why I should be eating two prunes a day to get "regular." When I demanded he take me home, he groped me in my driveway and said sex would cure me. Holy sleazebucket!

One day I was in a New Jersey chat room and came across a really nice guy, who told me his personal story. He went through something similar to me, in that his 23 year marriage went kaput after his wife left him to go "find herself." Translation: She moved in with a guy.

After many 6 hour online and phone conversations, he asked me out several times before I accepted. We met on the eve of Valentine's Day in a restaurant near my home. I knew what he looked like from a picture he emailed me, but he had never seen a picture of me, since I had no idea how to send a picture. He was 6.5 yrs younger than me, and cute as a button. I was roundish and wearing glasses. Not exactly Ms. Glitz!

He was late getting there, and while I was waiting for him (He got lost trying to find the place on his 2 hour drive), I helped this elderly lady who had fallen and cracked her head slightly. She was bleeding profusely from this tiny wound, and I was on the floor with her holding an icebag in place. Her 4 elderly female companions with canes asked me why I was alone. I replied that I was waiting to meet a man I had met on the Internet. They all became very concerned about a nice "young lady" (age 46) like me possibly meeting up with "Jack the Ripper" and they asked if I wanted them to wait with me as group chaperones.

I could picture that scenario and graciously declined their offer. After assisting them into a taxi, I looked at myself and shook my head. There was blood on my coat and I was soooo disheveled. My hair was a sight and my Maybelline eyebrows had half melted off. (I lost my Brook Shield eyebrows many years ago due to a pigmentation disorder).

I was about to leave when Guess Who walked in, apologizing profusing for taking a wrong turn and ending up in Pennsylvania, the next state over. Since he had just moved to the Northeast and didn't really know his way around, I forgave him. He said, "You must be Josie." Since he said it with a smile on his face, I figured I must have some redeeming visual appeal apart from my wrinkled clothing.

Once shown to our table, I peeked over the menu and giggled several times. He was sooooooooooooooooooooo cute! And he said I could order the biggest filet mignon they had. The man had passed his first in-person test: no mention of prunes. lol

We closed the place and then went to an all-night restaurant where we talked more over coffee. When it was time for him to make that 2 hour trek home, it was 1:06am Valentine's Day, and was starting to lightly snow. He kissed me lightly on the lips in the parking lot and my feet lifted off the concrete.

I drove home knowing this guy was too special for words. And he later said I had hit him like a ton of bricks from the instant he met me. He was not looking for a wife, yet we were almost never apart after that fateful night.

We just celebrated 11 years of marriage on the same day my son got married recently.

And every year we go back to that same restaurant and have our special anniversary dinner at that same table when possible.

Remind me sometime to tell the story of how he proposed. It's something else!

A thanks to my dear best friend & sister Ellie who made me go to the restaurant on that night long ago when I had an attack of fear and almost did not go. Ellie was the one who actually gave me the courage to meet my honey, and she was my maid of honor at our wedding a few months after we met. She had little money for a fancy dress, but she looked very very pretty in her Sunday best. At the time, I had no idea she would wear that same dress when we buried her 10 months later. She died tragically at age 46 and I will never forget that she was the one who, with God's help, brought me and my "Knight in Shining Armor" together.

Thank you God, for reminding me that no matter how dark life can be, you still have rainbows to make.