Okay I confess. I did it. I brought shame on all women kind. But I couldn't help myself. I had to know what was going on. I needed to know the truth. So after calling the numbers off the list I "accidentally" found in his wallet, had any one of you been concerned enough to admit the truth, maybe I wouldn't have wasted so many years of my life. Maybe I would have found the courage to leave. In fact, maybe some of you remember me. I called your home, work or cell; whichever number fell out of his pants pocket. And when you answered, I was always very polite in my approach. So, I'm guessing it caught you off guard when I came right out and asked, "Do you know my man?" I mean seriously, would it have been so hard to confess the truth? "Yes I'm sleeping with your man?" But instead, I, Stefanie Mason, continued to believe that I had found the man of my dreams; the man with whom I would share the rest of my life and raise a family. I knew Nicholas Washington wasn't perfect. And as all fairytales of today would dictate, he was handsome, employed and never hesitated to profess his undying love for me. So, through the good times and bad, thick and thin and the many many ups and downs, I knew I had found my Prince Charming. . . . . .that is until I met my Knight in Shining Armor. Now I just need to figure out how to keep from going to hell for feeling so good. (I received this e-mail message one morning from a friend who knows me so well.) Maybe God wanted us to meet the wrong people before meeting the right one so that when we finally meet the right person, we will know how to be grateful for that gift. Maybe when the door of happiness closes, another opens, but oftentimes we look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one that has been opened for us. Maybe the best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a porch and swing with, never say a word, and then walk away feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had. Maybe it is true that we don't know what we have got until we lose it, but it is also true that we don't know what we have been missing until it arrives. Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they will love you back. Don't expect love in return; just wait for it to grow in their heart; but if it doesn't, be content it grew in yours. It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, an hour to like someone, and a day to love someone, but it takes a lifetime to forget someone. Don't go for looks; they can deceive. Don't go for wealth; even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you smile because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright. Find the one who makes your heart smile. There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them. Dream what you want to dream, go where you want to go, and be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do. May you have enough happiness to make you sweet Enough trials to make you strong Enough sorrow to keep you human And enough hope to make you happy Always put yourself in others' shoes If you feel that it hurts you; it probably hurts the other person, too. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. Happiness lies for those who cry, those who hurt, those who have searched, and those who tried-for only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives. Love begins with a smile Grows with a kiss and Ends with a tear The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past You can't go on well in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches. Author unknown (But I thank you)