One of my friends was (and still is) a facilitator of what is called Cuddle Parties. In a nutshell: a Cuddle Party is an event where people get together and rediscover the power of Loving Touch. There is no sex involved, and everyone stays fully clothed, although pajamas are often the outfit of choice. There is also a strict set of rules for folks to adhere to in order to keep the space Safe for everyone.
I had attended several Cuddle Parties previously, and had experienced some major breakthroughs as a result. I had taken a breather to better process my experiences, and was toying with the idea of attending this particular Party for a number of reasons: I was about to start training to be a supervisor at the answering service I was working at, and my elderly cat who was with us at that time was starting to decline in health. (She would actually pass away later that month.) I was feeling I could use some Deep Human Sharing, but was it worth attending?
I received my sign when she requested a ride to the venue where the Party was going to take place, and she would comp her "chauffer" in return. I had the day free, my car had a full tank of gas, so why not? I navigated my way through the Friday commute down to where she lived (which I believe was the least friendly condo complex ever - only three guest parking spaces outside the complex itself!) and then out to the coast. Shortly after we arrived, a gentleman arrived on a bicycle and came in as one of the participants.
The prospective Cuddlers made their/our introductions, we went over the rules, and then broke up into small groups or pairs and took turns in asking for what we wanted. At some point, the gent who had arrived on the bicycle came up to me and asked if we could do some eye-gazing, which is staring intensely into each other's eyes for a period of time. I had a reputation for having a "cat's stare," and I've had other men look away from me after a few moments because they had gotten too uncomfortable. So I brought out my Cat's Stare - and he matched it. We would up eye-gazing for thirty minutes. That's how I met Himself.
At the end of the evening, we exchanged phone numbers and email addresses. I dove into to my training at the start of the following week; at the end of the week I received an email from him: I've been trying to text you, but you haven't answered. Did I do something wrong?
I called his number and apologized: the number I had given him was not a cell phone, it was my landline, and therefore could not receive texts!
He then asked me if I liked long walks on the beach. This is one of the biggest dating cliches ever...and yes, I do like long walks on the beach.
This led to our first date: at a Ruby's restaurant at the end of the pier in Oceanside. At one point, I asked him if he wanted to see "to the Center of the Universe," as I have a fairly strong prescription for my glasses. We exchanged glasses; not only was his prescription rather close to mine, but he said he could see better through my glasses!
After dinner, we took that long walk on the beach. The rest is history.
He will tell you it was love at first Cat-Stare. I needed a bit more convincing.
Here is the kicker: At the start of May of that year, on Beltane, I had stood sobbing in the middle of a circle towards the end of a powerful retreat and declared to the Universe, in no uncertain terms, my readiness to meet my Beloved. The Cuddle Party took place exactly 33 days later. Trippy, eh?
Everyone thinks we've been together longer than seven years. Even the Queen Mother remarked upon this yesterday. What we might lack in "quantity" we have more than made up in "quality."
So there you have it. :)
What an awesome story. Thank you for sharing.
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