Dale,
Firstly, thank you for this site, you are truly a great man and I will always hold you in my heart.
Secondly, Although I was blessed,with her heart and love, I envy you, because you have a precious gift I will never have. She never told me of the gift, only you did, and that means it truely is so special only you could have it. Only a handful of people meant the world to her and I believe you might have been at the top of the list (not saying she didnt rank everyone the same), she loved that handful with all her heart, I just wished she loved herself the same. I miss her so.
A Christmas Gift
My memories of Allison center around a Christmas gift she gave me many years ago. Whenever I hold it or even look at it, 
memories come flooding back. It is a very special gift that I have never opened. It came with a note which I display here.
I will keep the gift always and look at it and hold it often,
but I will never open it, for what is inside is too precious to ever risk dissipating into the air.
I have many other objects that trigger memories, some of them specific, others more general. But there are none that bring Allison’s whole life back to me as does this tiny Christmas gift.