Sunshine

A long time ago, in time before time, lived a young warrior fighting in a land now lost. The hero of our story was at an all time low both spiritually and physically. The days were long and brutal, and the nights way too short and often wrought with a few minutes of sleep interspersed with a lifetimes of exhilaration and fellowship in his brotherhood of arms; mixed with instances of stark terror that lasted seconds that left you sapped of all strength. All too often when one would hope for a soft bed and sleep our warrior found himself standing his turn on guard duty on the base camps perimeter. At times like these the only thing that kept him safe, sane, and alert was to place the physical here and now on auto alert while one segment of the brain contemplated a better future in the home of the brave and the land of the free. Having recently received a “Dear John” letter from his first love, our warrior’s mind often wandered to trying to determine what the woman he would like to spend the rest of his life with would be like. Being a lustful young man, many of the desired attributes initially identified described an attractive woman, easy on the eyes with a womanly smell and a pleasing feel when held in a close embrace. Further contemplation defined a woman of good demeanor, one that could pleasantly hold her own regardless of her surroundings. One that enjoyed life was adventurous, and willing to share all of her self. Over the span of many weeks and months these musings about the perfect woman became a checklist of sorts that could be recalled, reviewed and contemplated on a moments notice regardless of what was going on. Even in the thickest of combat he would find one segment of his brain contemplating what could be while the rest of his being was engaged actively in self defense and survival.
Eventually the Gods smiled upon our young man and he found himself riding on that great silver freedom bird that returned those lucky few that survived, physically unscathed, to their homelands, to family and friends, to attempt to regroup themselves and live as other free men lived. Upon his return he learned the lesson that all surviving warriors learn, you can never truly return home. You’re changed from what you were into something different, larger, and more complex. Your values are more finely honed; your beliefs more deeply felt, your drive more intense, and our sense of time more immediate. And most of all, he learned that very few who had not experienced what he had experienced understood who he was, or why he was. More importantly, few wanted to understand.
So our wandering soul returned to his homeland a changed and driven individual on a personal quest to discover who he had become and find hearth and home. For it truly was a quest. Many times our warrior feared that he would fail in his quest and be doomed to wander aimlessly throughout the remainder of his life. He met many new people along his journey. Many fell to the wayside; a few, lost brothers in arms like himself became fast and true friends. Friends that would be close him to the end of time. His friends and family introduced him to many eligible, beautiful young damsels in hopes that he would find himself through interaction with the fairer sex. At each occasion our hero would find himself within minutes of meeting a new Lady Fair evaluating her against the checklist he retained in his head. Each time, without fail, no matter how fair, how bright, or how comely, each would fail to measure up. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and soon a full year had gone by.
Then one day in the late fall of the year, he was introduced one more Lady Fair. It was a simple meeting, in a very untraditional environment. From the very first second our young man was smitten. Here was a beautiful young woman with eyes of blue that seemed to shift to green, and then back again to blue; with long blond hair and points of her own way up high. She had a very pleasant smile and was captivating, alluring, yet demure in her own way. Without a thought he quickly ran through his mental check list and found her to be fully without fault in his eyes. Numb with anticipation he checked his list, not once, not twice, but time and time again, all in an instance.
Circumstances and distance keep them apart through that first long winter; but in the spring of the year they were brought back together again. At the first opportunity he took her into his arms and pledged his love for all time, and announced his intentions to make her his wife. At first she was unsure, astounded at the brash, bold, and unforeseen announcement; yet she also sensed that his pledge was sincere and heartfelt.
Their courtship was a whirlwind affair that lasted a few short weeks. The hours that they were apart seemed as days, making their reunions all the more wonderful. Within what seemed to be a lifetime, but measured in a few short days by mortal man, our hero proposed; and to his great relieve the Lady Fair accepted his pledge of love.
In the fall of the same year that wed, and by the next summer were blessed with their first born, a bright eyed baby girl that was given a name of “light” after her Mother. Their family quickly grew to three young maidens and one stalwart son. Over the years they have shared many an adventure, and have traveled the world together. Now nearing the 4th decade of their marriage our warrior is no longer young, but his heart is still true and his love for the Lady Fair is even grander if that be possible. As they near the six and fiftieth anniversary of her birth our now old and long-in-the tooth warrior wished the world to know Sunshine is one true love, the love of his life, and the woman for him through time and all eternity.