I would like to try to put into words my appreciation for my husband
and the support he has provided me unselfishly during the past year.

Without Dick I would not have survived a day.
It is with his broad shoulders to lean and cry on that I have
spent most of the past thirteen months.

He has been there when I needed him near me, yet has left me to be alone
during the few moments of solitude that I have sought.

He has spent the past four months in silence, allowing me to dedicate every moment
away from my full time job to the creation and maintenance of Loria's Memorial website.
He knows how important it has become to me ~ how it has consumed me.
He cooked the meals and cleaned the house.
He managed the everyday maintenance of our home so that I could spend my time
learning the ins and outs of memorials, html, graphics, top sites, awards, etc.
Even when I was at home, he has been 'alone'.
I know that these past months were not easy for him.

He was not Loria's biological father, but he was my children's Dad.
My ex-husband abandoned his children ~ twice in their eyes.
First, when he left us for the neighbor across the street, and second,
when he suddenly stopped visiting the girls or spending any time with them.
But this story isn't about him.

This is about a man that is kind, generous, loving, considerate, strong,
honest, compassionate and a wonderful father.

He is the most patient person I have ever encountered in my lifetime.

The 'perfect mate' does exist and I've found mine.  Throughout all the other trials
this man has faced since September 9, 2001 ~ and trust me,
there have been many ~ my sanity and well-being has remained his priority.
This man has stood by me through thick and thin, even when I may not have deserved it.

I could never do enough to repay him and words alone could never
convey the depth of my sincere love and appreciation for him.