Today, another great story from Linda Stowe. It talks about finding true love.
I believe all humans are capable of loving, truly. And in return, being loved wholly. So. With that, I love to hear stories when love appears. And this is one.
____________________
Ardella
By Linda Stowe
One of my mother’s friends was a woman named Ardella.
Ardella, who was 20 years younger than my mother, lived on a farm with her parents not far from our farm and over time the two became close friends. Ardella and her mother belonged to the Jolly Circle Club, along with my mother and several other ladies. Their family also belonged to the Grange so we would see them at potluck dinners, square dances, and other Grange functions.
Ardella was much like women my mother’s age not only in the way that she carried herself but also in the way she dressed. She was a modest woman, preferring dresses in somber colors for winter and pastels for summer. For special occasions she might wear a brooch to add a little flair to her outfit. Although Ardella took great care with her appearance, she was not a typically attractive woman. Her frame was large, and she was not particularly graceful. She had lovely honey blonde hair, but her face was what they called plain. Ardella was a warm, cheerful woman with a big smile, and everyone liked her. But she remained single, living with her parents well into her 30s.
Then she met Sam at a square dance. Sam was about 20 years older than Ardella and was widowed with two children. He was a handsome man with a gentle way about him and no doubt a few women had set their sights on him. My mother said she held her breath when she saw Sam ask Ardella to dance because Ardella’s ungainly long arms and legs would flail about so much on the dance floor that people kept their distance. But when Sam led her out onto the dance floor Ardella seemed almost graceful as Sam guided her around the floor. As they danced Ardella’s smile, always bright, seemed almost neon. Even as a young girl I could see how love could transform a person.
This is a happily ever after story because Sam and Ardella got married and raised those two little girls into adulthood before Sam passed away. By that time, the girls had children of their own and Ardella had become a member of their family. Ardella and my mother continued to be close friends until my mother passed away.
