Have You Ever

  As I sit here and put these words on paper, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of my feelings for you. My love for you is limitless, and you will always be the most valuable person in my life. We’ve shared twenty years of laughter of shared glances across quiet rooms, of whispered dreams in the darkness. You have been my anchor and my wings, my refuge and my spark. And though time has gently altered the nature of how we live and love, you are still here with me —not always in the same way, but always with the same soul. When the fog of dementia began to settle around you, I felt something inside me falter. The man who could read me with a single look, who knew the rhythm of my day without a word spoken, now sometimes asks me my name. I lost the daily you , the partner who shared every mundane thought and burst of laughter—but I never lost the essence of you. It's still in the way your hand finds mine without thought, in the smile that returns when an old love ...

' ' All I want to do is wake up next to you?  '' My reflection on this promise carries such an evocative mix of nostalgia, passion, and heartbreak. In my words, the dream of simply waking up next to that special someone becomes so much more than a routine; it embodies the hope, intimacy, and the fearless vulnerability of a young love. The memories of talking on CB radios until dawn, building a life with shared promises, and creating a home full of small, cherished details paint a picture of a time when love was an all-consuming force, often unburdened by doubt or interference. Yet, as life often does, circumstances intervened.   I only want to be with you..... wake up next you always.... the years passed in loving bliss, life happened. The call that shattered the tender illusion—a reminder that distances can foster both opportunity and disconnection—steals you back to a moment when promises made in youthful intoxication gave way to harsh realities.  Then the call cam...