My Own Falling in Love Story

As I wrote in my last post, I am reading 2 love stories. The Pioneer Woman is the story of a upward-moving city girl who falls in love with a settled rancher. She has to choose between a life of corporate ladder-climbing in the big city and a slow and settled life on the ranch. I couldn't help but think back to the time I was dating Mr.M, who had a house here and a good job and wasn't about to go anywhere. I was young and full of dreams. What I really wanted to do was to live in Mexico as a full-time missionary. I had studied Spanish all through high school and in college, I had been to Mexico city twice, and I had nothing (that I knew of) keeping me here. I had to choose my adventure; either live in Mexico or make my life here with Mr.M. I decided to stay. Was my study for nothing? Well, no, I live in L.A., where the Spanish-speaking community is huge. I read and study my Spanish Bible, and our Asian college kids are always surprised and excited that I speak Spanish. They are happy to practice with me.

The other love story, Para Selena Con Amor, is so tied to the time of life when Mr.M and I were dating. She sang in Spanish, and at the time, I was in college and I listened exclusively to Spanish radio as I drove around the valley-mostly to Mr.M's house and back. I felt as if I knew Selena. She helped me practice my Spanish every time she came on the radio. Sitting on Mr.M's porch alone one day, it hit me that if I were to stay with him, that would mean NOT living in Mexico. It only took a fraction of a second to decide that I could have an adventurous life here in the suburbs of L.A. and that L.A. needs missionaries, too.