I’ve thought a lot about life and loss lately. In January, a wonderful woman was taken from us. She lived a full life…94 years. Although I only knew her for the last four and a half years, that time will always be precious to me. I came to love her like a mother.

Memories of the loss of another person I loved came to mind and I wanted to share it with you. This is the story of a friendship I developed in 1996.

For thirteen years I tutored chemistry at the local community college. During that time, I continued taking classes, especially math because I wanted to tutor that subject, too. I needed a lot of help understanding the difficult concepts , but Dennis, a calculus tutor, helped me. As a result of constant contact, we instantly became friends. Our friendship grew into a deep love for each other and, in 1996, my best friend and I moved in together. It was my first serious relationship in ten years.

We had a great connection. We enjoyed each others company and respected the need for “alone time. Unfortunately, three years after we fell in love, cancer took him away. Even though, I was lucky enough to have found another man who loves me completely, I will always miss Dennis. He made a huge impression in my heart.