Changes

It was a normal day, a little gray and slightly cool

Nothing unusual happened on that early fall day, nothing really at all

We laid on the couch eating popcorn and watching tv

She smiled at me and stole the bowl I'd been holding

She plucked my popcorn out of MY bowl and opened her mouth to swallow it down

It was a normal day, but as I stared at her I felt things begin to change.

We were shopping again, seeing if there was anything interesting to eat

The aisles were crowded, it seemed like we had to move at a crawl.

Picking up popcorn, and soda, pizza, and eggs, newspapers, oranges, many other things

The last aisle I remember clearly was less crowded and she stood staring at the box on the wall

Before turning to me with a question in her eyes.  Eyes that seemed so gentle in that moment

It was a normal day, but as I stared at her I felt things begin to change.

I walked into the office, nervously watching the busy receptionist and waiting to be noticed

It was my first job and when the woman sent me back to see her, her smile broke through my fear

Her voice was soft and reassuring as she explained what I had to do.

Her smile welcoming as she handed me the tools of my new trade and

She walked next to me on our way to work, chatting as if we'd been equals forever

It was a normal day, but as I stared at her I felt things begin to change.

She listened to me excitedly tell her about my day, smiling and nodding at all the right places

I told her about the people I'd met and how it made me feel to have new friends

I talked about the embarrassing meeting and the misunderstandings that lead me to them

And she just smiled in all the right places, letting me talk as long as I wanted to

Instead of telling me that it was nice and moving on to something else, she really wanted to hear

It was a normal day, but as I stared at her I felt things begin to change.

I came into the office nearly in tears after my last class, where they debated about

My right to exist even though they never realized someone like me was in the room.

She took one look at me and didn't say a word.  She got up closed the door and pulled me close.

She held me as I struggled to release my pain at a world so unfair

And in her arms I started to feel safe, as her warmth held me and burned away the cold I'd felt before

It was a normal day, but as I stared at her I felt things begin to change.

We'd stayed up late watching tv and I didn't feel awake enough to move from my space on the couch

I felt the lazy warm feeling of lounging around, but her movement brought me back to some awareness

As she moved to the hall and quietly opened the closet I cracked my eye open to watch as she searched

For the large fluffy blanket I'd once told her was my favorite and the wind caressed me as she covered me

I stayed quiet and unmoving and she didn't see me watching her stare at me looking so thoughtful

It was a normal day, but as I stared at her I felt things begin to change.

It seemed to happen so slowly but I can remember each step of the way.  In a series of normal, ordinary days,

I watched her, stared at her and felt it all change.  Felt myself change, and I don't want to go back.

Because her smile, her laugh, her tender eyes and kind actions have shown me what it is to love.