Forever 19.........

This time of year is always tinged with a feeling of sadness ~ a memory of time gone by ~ an event in my life that changed me forever ~ a memory that no matter the years that have passed ~ will never ever fade away......

My first real love ~ I was 17, he was 19 ~ a young british soldier ~ one barmy hot summer of fun ~ before he was posted to Northern Ireland..........2 months in ~ he was killed ~ shot while on foot patrol ~ my young 17 year old life came to a halt ~ the carefree fun 17 year old I once was ~ was no more ~ death knocked on the door of my life and changed it forever.

I still think of him often ~ still have his photo ~ still to this day cannot help but wonder what would have been ~ could have been ~ had he lived ~ had our lives taken another path.

I look at his photo ~ and while my life has moved on ~ I am now 38, older ~ wiser? with children and a 'grown up' life ~ he is still that young british soldier ~ smiling from that photo ~ happy carefree and forever 19...............