Barry Vissell - Meant to Be: Miraculous True Stories to Inspire a Lifetime of Love

Additional Praise for

These wonderful stories remind us of the miracle that love is, and the magical ways it comes into our lives. Meant to Be proves that, at the deepest levels, destiny is always at work in our lives.

Susannah Seton, author of Simple Pleasures and Simple Pleasures of the Home

Chicken Soup stories are delightful appetizers, but many of the stories in Meant to Be are a main course. You will be digesting these for a long time.

Connection magazine

Few books make me cry, but this one did, many times. The best collection of heart-full stories that I have ever read!

M. J. Ryan, author of Attitudes of Gratitude and editor of A Grateful Heart

Copyright 2000 by Joyce & Barry Vissell

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews. For information, contact: Conari Press, 2550 Ninth Street, Suite 101 Berkeley CA 94710-2551.

Some of the names and other identifying details in this book have been changed to protect the privacy of those involved.

The authors wish to thank the following for permission to reprint: The Relationship That Started on the Rocks by Bettine Clemen, reprinted by permission of the author from Open Your Ears to Love, 1999, the Hovenden Press, Minneapolis MN. The Best Christmas Present by Myrna L. Smith, reprinted by permission from Expect Miracles 1999 by Mary Ellen, reprinted by permission of Conari Press.

Conari Press books are distributed by Publishers Group West

Cover photography The Special Photographers Company / Photonica

Hand tinting by Peggy Lindt

Cover and book design by Claudia Smelser

Cover art direction by Ame Beanland

__________________

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Vissell, Joyce.

Meant to be: miraculous true stories to inspire a lifetime of love

Joyce & Barry Vissell.

p. cm.

ISBN: 1-57324-161-X

1. Man-woman relationships. 2. Love. I. Vissell, Barry. II. Title.

HQ801.A3 V57 2000

306.7dc21 99045498

Printed in the United States of America on recycled paper.

01 02 DATA 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

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To our parents, who have shown us what it means to stay committed, smoothing the rough edges of a marriage over the years.

To all people everywhere, who have a magical, miraculous relationship story of their own, if they would simply look.

To all the contributors of this book, for sharing their gems with the world.

To the magic that runs through all of creation, and brings two people together in the sacred bond of love.

To all those who have felt peace and acceptance with their partner, and had the courage to say, It was meant to be!

From the beginning of our relationship in 1964, we have often felt the hands of destiny at work behind the scenes. Over the thirty-six years we have been together, we have learned to accept the miraculous happenings bringing us together as a couple, leading us through our trials, and strengthening our heart connection. So often have we thought about our relationship and used the words, meant to be.

Naturally, we assumed there must be many others who felt the same way. At our workshops over the years, where we have shared many of the extraordinary happenings in our own relationship, we excitedly announced our plans to collect true stories for this book. We asked participants to share with us the miracles in their relationships. Inevitably, we were met with silent, blank, puzzled, and sometimes uncomfortable looks.

We soon realized that most people simply do not think of their relationships in terms of the miraculous, or they assume miracles happen to other people. If we were going to collect unbelievable stories, we were going to have to lovingly coax open the oysters and gently extract the pearls.

We decided to experiment on our eighty-year-old mothers, Helen Vissell and Louise Wollenberg. They have long been accustomed to our experimenting on them, beginning with the years when we were both in psychiatric training. We used to sit our parents down and, disregarding their groans of embarrassment, awkwardly query about their childhoods. This time, however, we each sat with our own mother, and gently pried, There must be a miracle story about meeting or working things out with Dad.

Their initial response was, Oh no, that's for other people, but there was something about the faraway look in their eyes that caused us to ask more and more questions. Finally, little by little, two gems emerged (A Date To Remember and The Resolution). Our experiment was a success!

So, believing that there is a miraculous love story within, each person, we started coaxing out the pearls. What we uncovered is a complete buried treasure, a book full of amazingly precious gems that will bring joy to your heart, tears to your eyes, and inspiration to your relationships.

The stories in this book may be viewed by some as evidence of synchronicity, the ordered and purposeful way events in the universe relate, and the perfect timing of coincidences. Or they may be viewed as spiritual or even angelic interventions in human happenings. Rather than trying to explain miracles, we prefer to simply appreciate the mystery of life and the awesome powers that guide our every step. Within each true story is a gem of love and wisdom from which we can all learn.

We hope these stories awaken in you a higher trust in the miraculous in human relationships. We also hope these stories inspire you to ask for help in your relationships, past, present, and future. You don't need to sit back and wait for a miracle. You have every right to ask for one. Not only ask, but open yourself to receive the loving guidance you are seeking.

Our greatest hope, through offering this collection of stories, is to inspire you to live more fully every moment, to love and appreciate now the ones with whom you are in relationship, rather than putting it off into the uncertain future. Being fully present in this life, making every day count, and living from the heart is a noble and worthy goal.

H ow two people are brought together has always remained a spiritual mystery. The following stories will not solve the mystery, but they will give you a feeling for the unseen forces at play behind all relationships. We believe there is a strong, mostly unseen, energy of love guiding us every step of our lives. This divine guidance brings us to the right relationship at the right time. The sometimes amazing stories in this first section show the magnitude and intelligence of this guiding power.

There is a destiny to two people joining into a committed relationship. What is ordinarily called chemistry between two people is really destiny at work. Two souls are drawn together to learn from each other. What seems like a crazy coincidence to some is to us the loving hand of guidance. Many times, people are guided to several or even a series of partners. Each of these relationships is important and has been brought to each person lovingly for their highest growth. Some relationships have difficult lessons to teach, and when learned, there is the need to move on to learn new lessons from someone else. Sometimes the most difficult lesson is the peaceful acceptance of the need for transition, that a romantic relationship with a particular person is not in the best interest for either person.