A Needle Woman

So! what was the busniess I went into? Well the business class I took said you should do something
1. you enjoy.
2.your good.
3 others want.
So, I decided to make my hobby, cross-stitching, a busniess. Simply, people already loved my needlework and would ask if I could make a sample, pillow, picture, baby blanket, etc for showers, wedding and birthday gifts, etc. So since I was already getting paid for it, why not go full time?
So, that is my little busniess. The classes lasted about ten months, teaching from ground up, inluding how to write a busniess plan, etc. It was fun and lots of work.
During this time, Mark and I would only see each other between services. Mostly it was a quick few minutes in the hallway. Later I would learn he was waiting for me. By now it was clean he wasn't married, engaged or seeing anyone. But was he interested in me? And if he was; why? I mean this is one handsome dude, a guy you expect to see with a Swedish model on his arm. Why would he be nterested in me? If he is...
Time marches on. I would learn that he had gone into the Army Reserves. Many of his friends were called to New York after 0-11, but he wasn't. Ok, cool, it's not like he is going to get called up to go to war anytime soon. So, that's cool. I could live with that. And as I got to know Mark, I realize while he would make a fine doctor, I wasn't sure if that was the path he really wanted to take. Afterward, I could tell he loved being a soldier and I also knew he loved sharing and teaching the Torah. To be honest, I thought Mark was a rabbi or a rabbical student when I met him. When he spoke of medical, I saw none of the passion or fire when he spoke of Torah or sharing his faith.
It was also becoming clean he really liked my company. We started hanging out in the Fellowship Hall, drinking lousy coffee. More and more we would hang out, the time becoming longer. Ok, he liked hanging out, but why didn't he say anyhting?
And then I found out why.
It was Agust of 2002. I had been praying with people and Mark had come up to say hi and we talked. Suddenely he asked me a question: "where's your husband?"
My husband? I laughed, "I'm not married."
"the guy wearing a prayer shawel; he's not your husband?"
"No, just my prayer parthner."
Mark thought I was married! No wonder he didn't ask me out!
"So your not married?"
"Nope.""Would you like to go out for a cup of coffee and I can call you later?"
"Sure."
It seem that the reason Mark backed off is he had seem me riding with another guy (who was taking me home from church). Then he realize we weren't dating and started to move again. But then he saw me prayng with someone else and thought we were married. Once he realized I wasn't, I could see the relief in his eyes.
But he was still moving slow.
It was easy to see looking in Mark's eyes that he was a lonely man, a man with a lot of deep hurts. And it would take time and patient to break through the ice that encased his broken heart.
Funny, but either one of us knew we were in love at the time....