For my T.Eddie Bear

Thomas Edward Moffett III

May 25, 1972 - January 25, 2011

Christmas Break 1989

I recently found out that I lost someone very near and dear to my heart.  Thomas was my 1st love...my first real boyfriend.  I had crushes before, but he was the real deal.

We met just before my 16th birthday. I was visiting relatives in Houston (I lived in AR at the time).

I went to a New Year's Eve party with my nephew and niece, they knew Thomas from school.

When we got there I looked around and there he was on the porch...jeans, white t-shirt and a smile.

It was love-at-first-sight. I asked if anyone knew who he was, "Oh, yeah, that's Moffett, this is his parent's party".  I had butterflies instantly. He came over and they introduced us. He never left my side for the rest of

the night. At midnight on New Year's Eve, we shared our first kiss under the fireworks. I was a goner:)

We met up the next day to watch a football game and stayed together until dark.  Hung out with him and his family the next day...then I had to go back to AR. I was crushed. He promised we would write and talk on the phone as much as possible. On Jan 6th, he called to wish me a happy birthday just like he promised. We wrote, called when we could. My mom drove me back for Spring Break, then again about a month later for an ROTC Ball. I felt like Cinderella on his arm in his uniform. I was so happy.

                                                    ROTC Ball, Spring 1989, Houston TX

I spent part of my Summer in Houston, it was great. School started back up and that's when things went bad. He ran away from home that Winter. Things got bad at home with his dad and stepmom, so he stayed with my nephew in Houston for a little while. Finally my mom agreed to let him come stay with us for a visit at Christmas and through my birthday. It was awesome. He went with us to Mississippi to visit my grandparents, met all of my friends at school, we got to go on "dates" instead of writing and phone calls. I convinced her to let him move in with us and finish school, but she had to convince my dad she said. She talked to my dad and shockingly, he agreed to let Thomas stay and start at my high school. That's when my mom flipped....said it wasn't a good idea, he had to leave. I think she figured my dad would never go for the idea. I was devastated. I don't think I spoke to my mom for 2 weeks after he left. She bought him a bus ticket to NC to live with some family he had there. The next 6 months were horrible for me. He wrote and called, but I knew it wasn't going to work out...not that far and not seeing each other. He called one day and said it was too hard to do, so we broke up. 

 A few months later, I was home when the mail ran one day and got a letter from him mentioning previous letters. He had been writing to me, but my mom hid the letters.  She thought she was doing the best thing...keeping us apart.  Anyway....we talked from time to time, remained friends, but then I ended up getting married when I was 19. We drifted apart after that. Back in 2007, we found each other again. We'd talked on and off ever since then.

I moved from OK to Louisiana last August, but I didn't take the time to catch up with him, give him my new number.  I had tried calling him earlier this week, the 25th, to wish him a happy birthday.  Number was disconnected.  I went on-line and found an unsettling post about how much he was missed on his MySpace page.  I searched on-line further and discovered his obituary.  He had passed away on Jan 25th at the age of 38.  I now wish I hadn't let so much time pass without checking in, but he knew how I felt, so that's all that matters.

I love my family and friends, regardless of how often we see each other or how often we talk.  You all are in my heart and thoughts.

 RIP Thomas

This was OUR song: