I would like to introduce my wife, Laurelee. She is my best friend, business partner, a very good farmer who operates our tractor and can do plumbing, carpentry, vet stuff and is a very funny person. Anyone who knows her, calls her Jumbo. This is the story of how two beings chose love over gender. We call ourselves luv-biens. Because we love being with each other.
Feng Shui told me to put a light in my south west corner of my bedroom to attract great love. I installed clear garden lights from the floor to the ceiling making it look like a tree without leaves. I said out loud “ C’mon love of my life!” and walked away thinking ‘ it could happen.
It didn’t take long for me to set aside the notion of the ‘light up’ intention ,because it also just looked super cool and I enjoyed the light it created. I thought I was attracting a man to fall in love with, not a woman. But that became more crystal clear when feelings were stirred up by a woman everyone called, Jumbo.
Our love for Woman’s Flag Football brought us together but I had no idea she was an Olympian, representing Canada for 14 years. Field Hockey was lucky to have her and so was her flag football team. This lady had 6 gears, she could spin, she could throw, she had instant moves that made me fall flat on my face more than once. I loved it when she would turn and check in to make sure you weren’t actually injured. Such a nice, kind Olympian.
And why do they call her Jumbo? She received the nickname in 1st year University. Imagine how large and powerful one gets while training to kick ass on the hockey pitch. And kick ass she did. The weight training, the running, plyometrics, resistance training, you get the idea. She was 125lbs and ate like a 300lb man. She told me,” back in the 80’s, Canadians were leaders in fitness. “You could witness their sheer size difference while playing most other countries.
I remember hearing stories of her when she first retired from field hockey and was now playing ladies flag football 🏈 . Her legs were like tree trunks, so much so, crossing them was impossible.
Playing against her was a blast and very challenging. Playing on the same team was a whole other ball game. We teamed up to play in, an out of town tournament in Vancouver. A first for me , but not for her. I still had no idea who she actually was or her accomplishments. Her 6 gears came in handy, not to mention her ability to change directions instantly. Watching the other team scramble to catch her was an eye opener. Now I knew what I looked like picking myself up off the grass.
My admiration for her changed when I got nailed in the forehead by some one’s elbow. My haematoma jiggled when I ran so I couldn’t play the rest of the tournament. Her concern for me was real, I could see it in her eyes. I was humored by my injury but I was moved by receiving her concern with such focus. I started to feel something….
After the Vancouver tournament we started hiking together including our dogs and friends who actually introduced us. Spending more and more time with each other seriously brought on feelings I had never experienced before by a woman. I was confused, happily, going with the flow but not knowing how to explain my feelings to ANYONE!! Was I falling in love? I didn’t know why the Universe was playing such a strange trick on me.
Everything became perfectly clear as soon as I admitted my feelings to myself. My daughters’ raw wisdom made it blatantly clear to both of us. She asked me if I was attracted to Jumbo? “What do you mean attracted? “All she said was “ It’s ok to be curious mom”. HUH? Curious?” I repeated it over and over, “It’s ok? Really? To be curious? Really? “.
Be careful for what you wish for, right? Remember that 8 foot light I installed to find the love of my life? BAM! Am I in love with a woman? Yes, I am in love with a woman! OMG, my catholic upbringing, my parents, my children, my 9 brothers and sisters. OMG……. I’m in love with Jumbo
We celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary August 6th, 2021