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Wait! Hold the elevator!, I heard a
voice say. I obliged and in walked a handsome man with dark hair,
big brown eyes, and a really sweet presence. I had seen him for
the past couple of weeks at rehearsal yet had not really talked
with him. You see,
I was on my own again after over 10 years with a partner that
I had lost to AIDS the previous spring. I had spent the summer
doing a lot of soul searching and decided that I would join the
Triangle Gay Mens Chorus, primarily as an outlet for my love
of
singing but also to develop friendships that were mine instead
of ours.
I was not looking for anyone. Anyway, despite my anxiety, we
began talking and sharing our respective stories. He had been
married and had two children. My former partner had also been
married and had two children; I could understand the
place his family had in his heart. We stood on the corner by
the Durham Arts Council for over an hour and I went away with
the sense that I had met a good person.
The next week we got together for dinner at my house and had
a really nice evening. We came from different backgrounds and
very different life experiences. However, Evan was someone with
whom I felt safe. That was only the beginning. Nearly four
years later, that meeting and subsequent friendship has developed
into a deep, loving relationship that God Himself made possible.
We are constantly learning from each other and providing each
other with the kind of support that brings out the best in each
of us. If it were not for him, I am not sure where I would be
today. I am sure that I would be fine but I would not have had
the privilege of knowing this fine man of integrity. I am very
blessed to have him in my life and what he has taught me
has created the opportunity for even more blessings. "There
are no chance meetings!
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