Some days I really think my life is a script from a Korean Drama. Today I visited my past. I went to say goodbye to my very first boyfriend. He was just one year older than me and we met only because he dialed a wrong number back in 1979. When I picked up the phone the voice on the other end said , “Hey there can I talk to Ray? I responded rather cheerfully , “No Ray here how can I help you? ” He said, “I just need someone to talk to.” I said, “Well you can call me Ray today if that helps.” We talked for 3 or 4 hours and then he asked me what number he had dialed and if it was okay to call me back. I think we talked every day for weeks before we ever shared our names. Months went by before I got up the courage to tell him where I lived.

It was a short coming of age romance and we parted on good terms. I only bumped into him once more about 20 years ago. Him and a girlfriend where going to build a house across the street from where Peter and I were living. His girlfriend at the time had a fit . She was not going to live 5 houses from his old girlfriend.

He is in Hospice care and his sister called me yesterday and asked if I would come visit. At first I did not want to go.I wanted to remember the 19 year old boy that I fell head over heels for or even the 31 year old that I had bumped into while walking through empty partially built homes in my neighborhood.

I am glad I went. When I walked in he smiled at me and said, “hey Ray, I needed someone to talk to and I thought of you. Thank you for coming. ” I was surprised at how nice it was to visit and to share some funny stories with him and his wife and daughter. Once you have loved someone they really do always have a part of your heart. I told him that he would always have a spot in my heart and that I have only fond memories of him. Well almost only fond memories. There was that one time…. We laughed and cried and hugged and I am happy that I was able to say goodbye to someone who taught me a lot about love.