Love Songs: Right Here Waiting

In honor of Valentine's Day, I will be featuring love songs all week. Today's post is a true story.

Oceans apart day after day
And I slowly go insane
I hear your voice on the line
But it doesn't stop the pain

If I see you next to never
How can we say forever

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you

 It was 1985, when a certain young man caught my attention. He was a good-looking man, reminding me of a young Tom Cruise. He was into me, and I was into him. We dated, not exclusively at first, but we didn't really date anyone else either for the next few years. We had a unique bond.

I took for granted, all the times
That I thought would last somehow
I hear the laughter, I taste the tears
But I can't get near you now

Oh, can't you see it baby
You've got me going crazy

He moved 125 miles away in the fall of 1990. He invited me to come visit for New Years, where he broke the news to me that he was joining the Navy. There was trouble in Kuwait and he wanted to go make a difference. I was really proud of him for his decision. But it came with a price. He told me he was breaking up with me because he didn't want to have any ties to anyone in the event something happened to him. We argued about his logic, but his mind was set. And so I picked myself up and carried on with my life.

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you

 In 1995, I moved to an area that coincidentally was significantly closer to his parents home. I didn't move there for him. I moved there to be with my family. My sister had been diagnosed with cancer and I wanted to be closer to her.

I wonder how we can survive
This romance
But in the end if I'm with you
I'll take the chance

By this time, my guy had returned home from the Navy. He learned that I had moved closer to where he was living, and we started dating again. In 1997, I reminded him that we had been dating for most of the past 10 years, and it was time for him to make another decision. I needed him to decide what he wanted out of our relationship so that I could move on if I needed to.

Oh, can't you see it baby
You've got me going crazy

Ultimatums aren't really the way to win anyone over. But it had to be done. I felt like I was on a stationary bike to nowhere fast, and needed to know if it was time to jump off and find something that moved.

He couldn't make up his mind. I became frustrated and made up his mind for him, by moving to another state.

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
I will be right here waiting for you
Whatever it takes
Or how my heart breaks
I will be right here waiting for you
Waiting for you

 He would call or message me periodically and we ponder the 'what ifs' of our relationship, up until the past year or so. But contrary to the message in this song, I was and am no longer waiting for him.

And that is how he became the one that got away. This was our song.

(Lyrics to "Right Here Waiting" by Richard Marx)

http://youtu.be/S_E2EHVxNAE