Walking with Her

15th of September 2008, Monday

After talking with the Professor about some questions regarding his schedule and when we could meet up, I mentioned to him, with a smile, "Oh yea, I met a girl last week on Friday."

He looked at me, "Well, I can see that this is someone special, otherwise you wouldn't have tell me of the news."

Professor Budziszewski and I had a pretty close relationship. It was the beginning of the fourth year since I've met him in my freshman year. This year, I was preparing to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church, and he was my sponsor.

Taking his response as a cue to go on with my story, I told him of my reflections after meeting her. KC is a cute girl in my Vietnamese class. She got my attention the first day of class. It was her hair, mind you. Beautiful, long, soft and light tendrils that flowed from her face of glory. The instructor had us go around introducing ourselves. When it got to her turn, she introduced herself by her Vietnamese name, KC. Since then, everyone else knows her by her English name.

So I told the Professor, "After class ended, I left and walked down the sidewalk on Speedway and towards Inner Campus Drive where my class was. Sensing her behind me, I turned around and saw her. She smiled and I said hi. My heart leapt!

I asked her if her name was KC.

She replied, "You remember?! I never use that name." She goes by Lindsay in class and only introduced herself by that name on the first day of class.

I tried playing it off by saying, "Oh. I just know a girl who looks like you with that name in Houston."

She said, "You're from Houston then?"

"Yea," I replied.

"What year are you then? Freshman?" she quizzed me, "Sophomore?"

I raised four fingers, "Senior."

Surprised, she exclaimed, "But you look so young!"

I tried a half-hearted defense, "Well, I'm Vietnamese" with an apologetic smile.

"What's your major?" she asked. This was starting to feel like 20 Questions, but I was loving every moment of it.

"Government," I replied, "Well, I gotta go this way now. It was nice meeting you!" And with that she waved and smiled good-bye.

"Her smile is probably the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," I told the Professor, "Something that hits me inside and makes me lose my sanity and rational will, but at the same time, can't help but put a smile on my face because I know for one second that smile of joy on her face was mine, and it brings me joy knowing I was the cause of it."

I added, "I suppose that's how it works with God too. When you do His will, it brings a smile to His Face, and it's the most beautiful thing you'll ever see, and it will bring you joy, knowing that you've brought Him joy."

The Professor smiled. He asked, "Does she has a boyfriend?"

I hung my head, "Yea. She does."

"You may just luck out then," he laughed, "Have you read Dante's Divine Comedy? He talks about his beloved Beatrice. A lot of times when people fall in love, they see a glow around their beloved. Yes, it's true that there is a glow that the lovers are lost in, but for Dante, the glow he sees in Beatrice is because it is the light of God reflecting on her."

I was speechless. I just sat there, only nodding because it rang true for me. Her smile. Her hair. Her voice. I could die that moment already a happy man because in the most limited way, I saw God that day.