“An invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. The thread may stretch or tangle, but it will never break.”- an ancient Chinese belief

It is that once in a lifetime person that you find that you share a heart and soul with. Now a lot of people say that they have found their soul mate. Some truly have. I think when you do you know it. For example, My aunt Carol and her husband Larry are soulmates for sure. They are the most loyal married people I know. They are Red Strings. My grandparents, both sets found their Red Strings too.

I have tried for years to find that certain someone. I have dated, slept with and married those whom I thought were my soul’s other half just to discover weeks, months or years down the road I was wrong. I feel now that my search is over. I know this may come as a shock to some of you, but hear me out.

In 1982 I was in the seventh grade. I was living on Perdido Key with my mom and step dad. I got on the school bus and there was this boy, Brendan. He was sitting in the middle over the wheel hump. I sat in the front. What I didn’t know is he was watching me. He liked my long straight hair and said I was the most beautiful girl he had seen. I was the new girl and he was the local boy.

A few days went by and when getting on the bus to go home I stopped at his seat and smiled down at him. He patted the seat next to him and said, “Sit down” I didn’t second guess, I just sat and he scooted over by the window. I was tucked down in the seat with my knees high on the back of the seat in front of me. Brendan noticed and sat the same way. I flipped my long brunette hair over my shoulder, looked at him and smiled. “so, you’re Brendan right?” He was surprised that I knew his name. We talked about everything and anything on the hour long ride home. We discussed music, movies and people we knew. He told me about his family and I explained how I had moved to the Key. He jumped off at my bus stop and we were inseparable after that.

Fast forward to high school we dated and went to the beach. It was a classic summer romance. When we were sixteen we got serious. I wanted to have sex but he was being the smart one. He said he didn’t want us to risk our future and do something we would regret. This green eyed remarkable boy broke my heart. He walked away from me, left me crying. We both went on to have full lives with marriages and children. These lives made us who we are today and are vital to who we are now.

A couple of years ago Brendan knocked on my mom’s front door. When I opened the door and took one look in those green eyes, my heart leaped. I knew I loved him and he loved me in that instant. We were us again. He held me, loved me and we talked again. The years between us melted away and disappeared. I feel like I have come home. As it turned out he never forgot me. We still like the same things, say the same things and have several connections that are the same. Everyday is a new adventure, a new something that makes perfect sense to us. I have not been this happy in years, if ever.

Brendan and I do not make any promises other than to live, love and be happy.

We decided to get red string tattoos. Our version is written in Elvin script from Lord of the Rings. It is us, all other things aside. Regardless of what the future holds he and I will always be connected in some way and we wanted to honor that. 
The text reads…”Two Bodies. One Heart. Two Minds. One Soul”…I have a B and he has an L on the underneath side.

Two Bodies. One Heart. Two Minds. One Soul

~Lori O’Gara