Denise Kelly
I met Michael my freshman year in college. He was a senior. His disability never bothered me. We talked with our eyes and hands. I always knew he hear me. My father was hard on me. He wanted his daughter's married out of high school. He didnt want any unplanned pregnancies . My father wanted the ring and he wasn't going to take no for an answer. Michael was already out of school and we had something special. He teased me alot about my figure. And he never had any money but being with him felt right. I have missed him for decades. At age 50, I decided to divorce my husband and I started looking for him. I asked other ROTC friends for Mary Anne's where abouts and I wrote a letter to him addressed to his sister. I never heard back.
A neighbor told me he was hurt. They told me things didn't look good for him. I still looked to find him. When I married in 1979, he sent me a wedding gift. It was a silver bowl and I still have it. He engraved his name on my heart. I wish I had one more day with him to explain my situation at home and why I was asking him to marry me. The things you don't say can make all the difference to end a heartache. He was special and I am always grateful to have his memory in my life.