Thank you all for your reply to Aamos's post of my lovely Donna. When I can I will figure out how to post a picture of my beautiful wife. As beautiful outside as she was she was much prettier inside. A friend told me recently that I was very lucky to have at least a short time with something others can only dream of. Maybe I was lucky, but I miss her so. I would like to share a couple of items of our romance. Donna and I first met online on January 3rd, 2006 I had just gotten the night before from running the Texas Marathon and then visiting spareribs, who I had met the previous summer at the Omaha Marathon. We did not see each other for the first time until February 25th, 2006. It is very easy to get to the turnoff from the interstate to our house, but nobody has ever been able to go the final distance to our home without help. Anyway Donna asked me to meet her at the McDonalds, but of course I did not want to go to such a place for what it represents to me. We went outside a nearby K-Mart. After I called her she told me it would not take her long to get there for it was only about 6 blocks away, but it did take awhile. After she drove me to what was to become our home I found out why. It was actually nearly 3.5 miles. Donna did not have much of a concept of distance or time. Her standard answer was "That is just the way it is." Those things just were not important to her. She always made me feel so loved and important in her life. When I first saw her she was wearly a special t-shirt. It read, "A Damsel in disstress finally meets her Prince Charming." When we finally got to her home. The path to her front door go through a small courtyard. She had it covered with rose petals. She had a special chocolate candy there for me to ear. I am sure it was the best for Donna did not believe in buying cheap. To her it was much more important to have quality for money just seems to always work out some way anyway. Money was not important, but being happy was much more of value to her. A great lesson I will never forget. Anyway although I rarely eat much of sweets of any kind how could I turn down such a lovely lady. After a while we go to a local vegetarian resturant, Eden's, she has a surprise for me. We get to the location, but it was not there. She gets worried maybe we are a block or two off. Then all of a sudden here it comes. A horse and a special carriage. We go for ride through the Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri. We walk through the streets in love even though it is still cold here in February, but we did not notice. We ended a rememberable day together at our home and my new home. It was like we loved each other before we met. A little known song became our love song, "I knew I loved you before I met you." Each year we would repeat out first date, but this year it was to cold for her in her condition. So we decided to have this year on May 12th the day I first moved to our home her in Lenexa, Kansas. I will take the ride in May with her spirit, which will always be around me. In my search of our home lately I found of love card for me, that she had not given to me yet. It said how together we my walking side by side can conquer anything. Thanked me for my support even when she is crabby, which really never happened. It was so easy to be in love with her. She told me how a great Dad to our babies (our 7 cats). I also found $277 in change in one of her drawers, that she was saving and adding to daily. It was her way of saving for our trip to Hawaii next year. We were going to Maui where we got married at the Maui Marathon in 2007. We were going to repeat our perfect 11 days there. It was our favorite place to me. We planned to buy a home there and retire there someday. Paying for it was no problem for Donna for things always worked out somehow anyway. It would happen. How it was ever was going to happen I do not know, but I did not say anything. I could see how happy it made her to talk about it. Her other future dream was to buy a big, never small, Windabago and load it up with our babies and drive around our country together. With Donna anything and everything was possible. Money was never a problem for it all worked out someway. It was so fun to be a big part of her endless dreams. You just wanted all those things for her. She was one of a kind. The stories are endless and so IS our love. "Donna I Loved you Before I met YOU!!!" TomD

Tom - Donna will always live in your heart. Thank you for sharing this.

Tom, What a beautiful loving woman...and you knew to cherish every moment. You and Donna taught us a lot and are still giving us lessons. It was so good to hear from you. If other stories pop into your mind we'd love to hear them too. Sue

Thanks for sharing this with us, Tom. Our thoughts continue to be with you. TomS

Tom, That was so very beautiful. Thank you for sharing those stories. Yes, the Donna I met was very kind and helpful to people. She had food and a smile where I first met her, at the turnaround at Timtam 2007 and we chatted after the race. Though you are grieving your loss, just know that you are blessed to have such wonderful memories and again, thank you for sharing and allowing us to know your Donna a bit more.

((Tom)) That was so beautiful - thank you for sharing those special memories with us.

{{{{Tom}}}} My heart aches for you - thanks so much for sharing your memories of your beautiful Donna.

Tom, I am smiling because your letter was beautiful. You and Donna had something few will ever have. What a unique and treasured love you shared! I am sad that she is gone. Best wishes to you as you mourn her passing. I hope you smile when you remember the good times. your friend, Barbara (aka Rosecoloredglasses)