Gut Wrenching Sobs!

Look at this sweetheart in the picture. Back in the summer of 1965 I like to think he was my sweetheart but in the spring of 1968 he gave his life for our country.

This morning before starting my chores out here on the North Forty I checked my emails. I am always thrilled when I see one from my long time friend from my college days. Maxine and I have such a bond that we can go years without seeing each other and then when we do it is like we were back in college talking and laughing until our sides hurt.

In the subject line of her email it said I thought you might want this. Well I figured since I have been talking vegan diets she had sent me a recipe. I tell you I was not prepared for what I found. It was this picture of Ronnie.

Max  had read my Memorial Day post about Ronnie so she was curious and went on the internet and found this picture and a write up of how he was killed in Viet Nam war.

You know how sometimes your first reactions are so funny. I knew I was looking at a picture of Ronnie but I just could not imagine how that was possible since my friend Max never met him. I did not meet Max until college and I dated Ronnie the summer before my Senior year. There was no note just this picture.

The tears slowing found their way down my cheeks and then within minutes it was gut wrenching sobs. I got up to get away from the computer but then I just set back down and cried my heart out.

After a while the tears stopped and I realized I was crying for not only Ronnie but for all the men and women who like him have given their life for us. Young soldiers that are still giving their lives for us.

I was crying because like him they never had the chance to live. Sobbing because I was alive and he died so young. I even cried because maybe I did not live the life I was given the way Ronnie would of been proud of me.

Tears flowed and my heart ached because I thought of how sweet and kind he had been to me. How I told him my dreams and he shared his with me. I cried because I felt he would of made his dreams come true but I had let him down and myself because the only part of my dreams that I fulfilled were my three babies.

Of course thank God I did fulfill those dreams of having children. But the others never came through and I did not fight hard enough for them. I always thought of myself as strong but seeing Ronnie's picture made me look at my life so different. Like I have wasted most of it.

Ronnie and myself  talked of the nightmare going on in another world from us and young men dying everyday but we would not let ourselves think of him going over there. I had brothers too old enough to fight and I prayed for them not to go.

My prayers were answered for my brothers but Ronnie did go over there but only for three months. I went to the site where Max found this picture and again the tears flowed reading about the last battle of his life.

Thank you Max from the bottom of my heart for sending me this picture. I can't help but think this might be the last picture taken of Ronnie. Maybe I needed this for some kind of closure. But I doubt that will happen.

There are just some people that come into your lives and you know right away whether or not their in your heart forever. Ronnie is one of those in my heart forever.

Love to all
Maggie

Looking Back for Memory Lane Monday!

Like most of you today my thoughts and prayers today are with our women and men who are in the Armed Forces serving our country and for all those who served in the past.

My heart aches when I think of all the lives that have been lost while defending our country. I still miss my friend Ronnie Slay who gave his life at such a young age while fighting in Viet Nam. Lot's of day's I can still see his wonderful smile and beautiful eyes.

Saying thank you to our hero's just does not seem like enough but when I see someone in uniform I always tell them Thank You for serving. Try it you will get a wonderful response from them.

Today it is already the last Monday of the month which is when I try to link up with Donna at Brynwood Needleworks for Memory Lane Monday's.

Usually I tell a long story of something in my past but today I wanted to write about my past memories of when I first started blogging.

On my previous post I wrote about how appreciative I am of having blogging friends and how lucky I am to have you in my life. Well that got me to looking back on my very first month of blogging and I found that I actually had a comment on I think it was my second post. Of course, it was a while before I had another friend comment but I still remember the excitement of finding out that someone had actually read my blog. lol

Do you remember those memories of your first few months of blogging?

Who was my first comment-er well it was  Vicki at Operation You. I then clicked on her site and was excited to find that she is still blogging. I also found that she still has a lovely site and hated I had lost contact with her.  If you click on her site you will enjoy meeting a new friend. You know I am all about meeting new friends and enjoying the ones I am blessed to have found on here.

After reading a few of Vicki's post I checked to see if I followed her. Well blogger showed I was but I was following her anomalously. The only reason I can figure out why it showed that way is because being a  new blogger back then I did not even know how to follow some one correctly. So after all this time I corrected that and now it makes me wonder who else am I following the same way. I will have to try and figure it out.

It's fun to go back and reread you old post and see what you were writing about in that time of your life.
Also I found my old Temptation Monday's post where I posted about some of my blogging buddies art work. Gosh I really miss doing those post. I think it was after my injury that I discovered I could not keep up with doing these Temptation Mondays because of how many friends sell their art. That is when I came up with the idea of my Temptations site.

Now I regret I have neglected it. The last few months I have been trying to figure out how to showcase these artist again like before. My purpose of Temptations was to introduce my friends to exceptional group of bloggers who are artist.  Hopefully in the near future I can once again work on that site and be a better friend to these gifted bloggers. Any ideas on how to do this just let me know I am open to suggestions.

Well friends I need to get off here but I do hope you are enjoying your special day and remembering our troops. Add them to your prayers and Thank them for serving our country.

Also wishing you a beautiful week ahead. Let me know how your doing and try to stay cool. The heat index is already way to high. Incredible for only May.

If you have any vegan recipes you want to share please send them to me at grandmayellowhair@gmail.com.
This coming Friday is when Christi and I are starting the Eat to Live diet.

Love to all
Maggie