To Ryan, who taught me how to live, laugh, and love every minute of my life, and every moment with him.

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. 

When you know which one it is, you will know what to do for that person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need
you have expressed.  They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to
provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically,
emotionally or spiritually.  They may seem like a godsend and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.  

Then, without any wrong doing on your part or at an inconvenient time,
this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an
end.

Sometimes they die.  Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up
and force you to take a stand.  

What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done.  
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has
come to share, grow or learn.  They bring you an experience of peace or make
you laugh.  They may teach you something you have never done.  They usually
give you an unbelievable amount of joy.  Believe it, it is real.  But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons, things you must
build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.  Your job is to
accept the lesson, love the person and put what you have learned to use
in all other relationships and areas of your life. 

It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
Thank you for being a part of my life,
whether you were a reason, a season or a lifetime.

Just a couple of poems that have always reminded me of Ryan and how I felt when we lost him.

If tears could build a stairway and memories were a lane,

I would walk right up to heaven to bring you home again.

No farewell words were spoken, no time to say goodbye,

you were gone before I knew it, and only God knows why.

My heart still aches in sadness and secret tears still flow,

What it meant to lose you-no one will ever know!

A heart of gold stopped beating, two shining eyes at rest.

God broke hearts to prove, He only takes the best.

God knows you had to leave us, but you did not go alone-

for a part of us went with you, the day he took you home.

To some you are forgotten, to others just part of the past,

but to those of us who loved and lost you,

the memory will always last.

This song has new meaning to me. About a week after we started dating He said he had song for me, and he played this song. Not the whole song, but what he had learned of it. As he played I quietly sang along, barely audible to him, but he smiled when I did. Probably because I love Led Zeppelin and actually knew the words.  He played that song for me everyday whether I was on the phone with him or at his apartment.

Over The Hills .....Led Zeppelin

Hey lady--you got the love I need
Maybe more than enough.
Oh darlin, darlin, darlin
 walk a while with me

Ooh, you’ve got so much, so much, so much

Many times I loved
Many times been bitten
Many times I’ve gazed
Along the open road.

Many times I’ve lied
Many times I’ve listened
Many times I’ve wondered
How much there is to know.

Many dreams come true
And some have silver linings
I live for my dream
And a pocketful of gold.

Mellow is the man
Who knows what he’s been missin
Many many men
Can’t see the open road.

Many is a word
That only leaves you guessing
Guessing ’bout a thing
You really ought to know, ooh! ooh! ooh! ooh!
You really ought to know, ooh! ooh!
I really ought to know!
Oooh, you know I should, you know I should, you know I should..

Free Bird....Lynyrd Skynyrd

If I leave here tomorrow
Would you still remember me?
For I must be traveling on, now,
There's just too many places I've got to see.
But, if I stay here with you, girl,
Things just couldn't be the same.
'Cause I'm as free as a bird now,
And this bird you cannot change.
Oh oh oh oh oooooh
And this bird you cannot change
And this bird you cannot change
Lord knows, I can't change.

Bye, bye, baby its been a sweet love... yeah yeah
Though this feeling I can't change.
But please don't take it so badly,
'Cause the Lord knows I'm to blame.
But, if I stay here with you girl,
Things just couldn't be the same.
Cause I'm as free as a bird now,
And this bird you'll never change.
Oh oh oh oh oooooh
And this bird
you cannot change.
And this bird you cannot change
Lord knows, I can't change.
Lord help me, I can't change.
Lord I can't change
Won't you fly high free bird,  yeah.