The real treasures of life:
I was 14 years old in Santiago, Dominican Republic when I met the most wonderful person, Marco Raul Midence. He was just a few centimeters taller than me, long hair (because he never liked to cut it), huggable and chubby. The most adorable baby brown eyes I ever saw! Yes! I was smitten by him from the first day until I reached my 20th birthday. Marco Raul Midence was my first and forever love of my life.
I met him in the summer months of 1986. The best time of my life was day dreaming about him. My first kiss, my first love! I am very fortunate to have loved him and be loved by him.
My memories are beautiful, sentimental, and even a bit romantic. As he would say - we are both very "cursi", meaning we are romantic fools in our ways. At 14 years old I wrote a letter every day and mailed them every week. It was all going to Marco Midence, P.O. Box 618, Santiago. Every month I would make my 3 minute call to hear his voice. The butterflies in my stomach, the weakness in my hands as I dialed his home number - ending in 6418. I remember my lunch money was $3 every day and I would always save a little - even if it was .50 cents until I reached $6.80. This is how much is cost me to call him on a payphone located in the far end of the cafeteria of my school. His voice, our simple conversation, the feeling to have him for those 3 minutes were enough to carry me to the next phone call a month later. Every little card, every little detail of a girl in love was devoted to the most wonderful person in the world.
My letters to him were filled with love, dreams, and the innocence that escapes us all from time to time in our adult life. All those feelings resurfaced and awakened in me last year when Marco and I re-connected. Thanks to a networking website, HI5.com I found his sister, Mirtha. I was scared and excited to send her an email hoping that she would remember me. Her reply "how could we forget about you". After approximately 10 years without having any communication, we found each other again and it was like not even a week passed. Every memory, every tear of joy and love, every emotion resurfaced.
Marco Raul has been the most important man in my life. He gave me the definition to the type of man I need in my life - strong, opinionated, good-hearted, caring, giving.... everything you can think of to describe a genuinely good person. He reminded me of so many things that I had forgotten or chose to put aside because someone else disappointed me or hurt me. He made me feel that it was "ok" to be me again. He loved me as much as I loved him in our own ways over the years. He saved all my letters, cards, and little details from our childhood love. Every email we exchanged with filled with a little secret and different kind of love. "TMQ - MM". It was not the kind of love filled with passion, but the kind of love that you read in story books --- a love that turns into an unconditional love.
My Marco -- every friend, cousin, boyfriend knew about Marco. "Oh yeah - the love of your life" many would say. Even though not everyone knew him personally, everyone knew of him through me. Many would wonder how someone can be loved and admired as much as I did him.
"Marco, you will always be in my heart and my every day? Now you are watching over me to make sure I make the right decisions in life. To ensure that I will choose a partner in life that will value me as much as you did in life. You will be there for me every morning, day, and night to listen when no one else has the time to listen. I am sure that you understand that I never wanted to disrupt your life with your family and wife - but a piece of me always belonged to you and always will - the most gratifying feeling is that you knew that and were always cautious for me. I love you even for your balanced way of handling every situation. Your happiness was my happiness. I will always love and admire you!"
If you have read this far, you now realize that today is a sad day for many people. Marco Raul has passed away this morning. He has left us all in shock and deeply saddened. Words can not explain the loss, but the only way I knew how to manage this sorrow was by sharing these memories and sentiment. If you ever loved someone- truly loved someone, please don't hesitate to tell them. Sometimes the simplest "hello" let's the other person know you are there for them. Please do not live life in fear of being hurt. Loving someone, truly loving someone takes so little for so much in return. Be unconditional and give your heart and do not be selfish. Life takes many turns and to really love someone is to wish and support their happiness. Marco Raul had a beautiful family of two gorgeous girls and a loving wife. My heart goes out to them. His wife, Patricia, will be triumphant and overcome with the support of her family and friends.
Marco Raul is the son of HILLBILLY -
HB - We did not share many moments, as I did with Marco and Mirtha. Nonetheless, I remember the cute nickname you had for me 'nariz de turquesa". Recordar es vivir - smile.
I was 14 years old in Santiago, Dominican Republic when I met the most wonderful person, Marco Raul Midence. He was just a few centimeters taller than me, long hair (because he never liked to cut it), huggable and chubby. The most adorable baby brown eyes I ever saw! Yes! I was smitten by him from the first day until I reached my 20th birthday. Marco Raul Midence was my first and forever love of my life.
I met him in the summer months of 1986. The best time of my life was day dreaming about him. My first kiss, my first love! I am very fortunate to have loved him and be loved by him.
My memories are beautiful, sentimental, and even a bit romantic. As he would say - we are both very "cursi", meaning we are romantic fools in our ways. At 14 years old I wrote a letter every day and mailed them every week. It was all going to Marco Midence, P.O. Box 618, Santiago. Every month I would make my 3 minute call to hear his voice. The butterflies in my stomach, the weakness in my hands as I dialed his home number - ending in 6418. I remember my lunch money was $3 every day and I would always save a little - even if it was .50 cents until I reached $6.80. This is how much is cost me to call him on a payphone located in the far end of the cafeteria of my school. His voice, our simple conversation, the feeling to have him for those 3 minutes were enough to carry me to the next phone call a month later. Every little card, every little detail of a girl in love was devoted to the most wonderful person in the world.
My letters to him were filled with love, dreams, and the innocence that escapes us all from time to time in our adult life. All those feelings resurfaced and awakened in me last year when Marco and I re-connected. Thanks to a networking website, HI5.com I found his sister, Mirtha. I was scared and excited to send her an email hoping that she would remember me. Her reply "how could we forget about you". After approximately 10 years without having any communication, we found each other again and it was like not even a week passed. Every memory, every tear of joy and love, every emotion resurfaced.
Marco Raul has been the most important man in my life. He gave me the definition to the type of man I need in my life - strong, opinionated, good-hearted, caring, giving.... everything you can think of to describe a genuinely good person. He reminded me of so many things that I had forgotten or chose to put aside because someone else disappointed me or hurt me. He made me feel that it was "ok" to be me again. He loved me as much as I loved him in our own ways over the years. He saved all my letters, cards, and little details from our childhood love. Every email we exchanged with filled with a little secret and different kind of love. "TMQ - MM". It was not the kind of love filled with passion, but the kind of love that you read in story books --- a love that turns into an unconditional love.
My Marco -- every friend, cousin, boyfriend knew about Marco. "Oh yeah - the love of your life" many would say. Even though not everyone knew him personally, everyone knew of him through me. Many would wonder how someone can be loved and admired as much as I did him.
"Marco, you will always be in my heart and my every day? Now you are watching over me to make sure I make the right decisions in life. To ensure that I will choose a partner in life that will value me as much as you did in life. You will be there for me every morning, day, and night to listen when no one else has the time to listen. I am sure that you understand that I never wanted to disrupt your life with your family and wife - but a piece of me always belonged to you and always will - the most gratifying feeling is that you knew that and were always cautious for me. I love you even for your balanced way of handling every situation. Your happiness was my happiness. I will always love and admire you!"
If you have read this far, you now realize that today is a sad day for many people. Marco Raul has passed away this morning. He has left us all in shock and deeply saddened. Words can not explain the loss, but the only way I knew how to manage this sorrow was by sharing these memories and sentiment. If you ever loved someone- truly loved someone, please don't hesitate to tell them. Sometimes the simplest "hello" let's the other person know you are there for them. Please do not live life in fear of being hurt. Loving someone, truly loving someone takes so little for so much in return. Be unconditional and give your heart and do not be selfish. Life takes many turns and to really love someone is to wish and support their happiness. Marco Raul had a beautiful family of two gorgeous girls and a loving wife. My heart goes out to them. His wife, Patricia, will be triumphant and overcome with the support of her family and friends.
Marco Raul is the son of HILLBILLY -
HB - We did not share many moments, as I did with Marco and Mirtha. Nonetheless, I remember the cute nickname you had for me 'nariz de turquesa". Recordar es vivir - smile.