"I'm no longer 'computer challenged'"

I have to admit that at 44 years old, I have been computer challenged for 42 of those years. We bought our computer six years ago, and for four of those years, it was something that used to cover scratches on my old living room table. My youngest son kept trying to convince me that I needed to know how to use the computer so that I would be able to keep up with technology. For some reason I resisted the whole idea, not being able to see what benefits knowing the computer would personally bring to me. I was about to find out.

I happened upon my son in the living room one day two years ago. He had a magazine next to him, and I picked it up and thumbed through it. I noticed a site you could visit for freebies. Out of curiosity I asked him to visit it.

Hundreds of free things! I was immediately enchanted with the whole idea of free things at the touch of my fingertips. That first night I was on the computer for 12 hours straight, much to the chagrin of my husband, but the delight of my son. I was addicted!

"Here's our family!"

A few months went by with me at the keyboard, when I discovered that there was a site with contests. "Why not?" I thought, so I entered a few. Much to my surprise, I started to win some of them. That was it for me, now my days and nights were filled with entering contests. I never did win any of the big prizes, but was delighted with every book, sticker or jar of jam delivered to my door.

This past February, I decided to enter a Valentine's Day contest in which contestants were asked to submit a story about how your husband proposed to you. I always shied away from these type of contests, as from childhood I knew that if I put my heart into something and lost, it would be too hurtful and I did not want to put myself in this position, especially at my age!

For some reason which I cannot explain, I kept coming back to this contest. Two days before the contest deadline, I decided against all odds to enter. I cannot begin to describe my amazement when I received a phone call saying that I had won. I was shaking when I hung up.

I won a real rose dipped in gold from 188-I Love You. That was not to be my big win, though. The site published my story, and I felt like a star. On Valentine's Day at 3 am, I received a phone call. It was from Denyse, the best friend I have ever had, and I had not seen her for 30 years! We had become soul mates at the age of 13, until I left Newburgh, NY two years later.

We left when my dad was sent to Vietnam that year. Denyse and I had lost contact with each other, as at age 17, I married a man in the military and moved not only from state to state, but from country to country. She also married someone in the military and traveled all over. In my heart all these years, she has always been the friend I truly treasure. There is something special about the friend you have when you develop your first crush on a boy; someone who can share and add to your silly, teenage moments.

"Current photo of Denyse"

Apparently Denyse's daughter had recently gone on line and soon Denyse herself also started surfing the net, discovering contests. She found the Valentine's Day contest that I had entered.

She later told me that when she read my winning entry, she thought to herself "It can't be her." But then she remembered that one of the first places we were stationed at was Biloxi, MS, where we now are.

She did an email search, then a phone search and that is when I received the call. She has been living in Panama City for years now, and visits Biloxi to go to the casinos. For the past three years, she had just been down the street!

On Valentine's Day, my husband and I rushed down to the Grand Casino, my nerves completely on edge! I had not seen Denyse since I was 15. Would I recognize her and she me? We pulled into the casino, and with my heart racing, started walking up to the entrance.

There, beside the door stood a lone figure. As I approached, I wondered how I could ever have thought that I would not recognize her. She was just as beautiful as when she was 15. We cried in each other's arms and I felt like for the first time in over 30 years I had come home. We spent the day together reminiscing about everything and anything, hugging each other every other minute. We will never again lose touch with each other, as we truly are each other's soul mate and each other's childhood.

"Denyse's daughters Katie and Karen"

For anyone who wonders if miracles DO come true, or what the internet can really do, my belief is that it can give you back what you treasured and lost. And it can bring you into the future, where anything is possible!