I recently saw one of my students and could not believe my eyes. Was this the same little girl I had in my classroom for four years? The one with the hair pulled down around her face and no smile? Yes, except this girl was not hiding. She was smiling and had her hair pulled back. She was beautiful.

She came over, smiling, and as I was bending down to hug her she laughed and said she wanted me to meet someone. Just as I look up I saw a very handsome young man making his way over to us.

You could tell he had eyes only for the girl beside me. He was so in love with her and she returned the love just as much. I was so happy she had found someone to make her life complete.

He asked if things were alright and when she told him who I was, he grabbed me and hugged me tight. He kept thanking me. I didn't know what the man was talking about. But I knew I must've done something right, or was hoping so anyway. My mind was trying to figure out what I had done and nothing came to it.

Finally the young girl, whom I'll call Beth, said she would explain. She told me she had been in a relationship with Sam for a year on the net. They had become friends and she had fallen madly in love with him. However, she was going to break it off after much thought because she had not been truthful with him. She wondered how a man could love a girl in a wheelchair? Bent and twisted as her body was. They had talked of things they liked and he said he loved to dance. She was heartbroken she would never be able to dance with him. Never feel the heart beat of his child in her body and never know the bonding of their love. She loved Sam and she wanted him to have a whole person, a real person.

On the day that she had made up her mind to tell him it was over and she was going to disappear from him, a strange thing happened. She was sitting at the park when a man came by and suddenly stopped and came to her. She knew in an instant it was Sam. He dropped to his knees and with tears in his eyes he looked at her.

He told her he was sorry. He was shorter than he told her. He was fifteen pounds heavier and his hair, what was left of it, was starting to turn gray. He said he had to come to her and tell her. To let her see him and to look her in the eyes when he told her how he had fallen madly in love with her. She could only look at him and wonder. Had he not seen the wheelchair she sat in? She did not know what to do or say, until finally he told her, "The only problem I see is how the hell am I going to hold you in my arms so long while we dance without kissing you so much?"

They had been together ever since, every day and every night, and were getting married in a few days. They had gone dancing and he held her in his arms and danced with her. Like he said he would, he kissed her while she laughed and cried at the same time.

While I listen to her talk, I looked over at Sam. Yes, it was true he was not the handsome young man I had thought he was at first. He was short, more like twenty pounds overweight and didn't have much hair. But the love he had in his eyes for her was all that mattered. 

I never knew why the couple thanked me so much. I had forgotten to ask what I had done and could not for the life of me figure out why they thanked me so much. Whatever I did or they thought I did...well, I guess that was another story in itself.

They would make it. They would grow old together and live a wonderful like together. That I was sure of. Why? They believed and had faith in one another and themselves. They were in love.

I have always heard that love makes the world go around. That day it was proven to me. For Sam and Beth's love made the world go around for them.

If one believes and wants something bad enough, with a little faith and patience, anything is possible. Beth knows this every Friday night when Sam takes her in his arms and dances with her.