My senior year in high school a young man named Todd who had graduated about six classes behind me came back to restart the school's wrestling program. Todd seemed to have it going on. He was tough as nails. He'd always run with the team and he'd wrestle the biggest guy on the team anytime even though he was only about 5'6" 140. (That was me and he'd usually beat me). He had been a state champion on our high school's wrestling team not that long before. He was a magna cum laude graduate student in accounting at the time. In hindsight, it seems nuts that a young guy with so much going on had hundreds of hours to dedicate to us bunch of guys who had never wrestled before and weren't very good. He loved the sport and loved our school. The only thing he may have loved more was his girlfriend. 

Todd recruited me and just about every other male in the school to wrestle. The program had fallen apart due to lack of interest since he graduated. He had a charisma though that made you want to be part of it. I wasn't sure if I should. It seemed like it was too late in my academic and athletic career. And it was. Coach Todd needed a heavyweight though and I was a fat kid. Finally, I said ok. I remember one of the things that made me think wrestling was cool was that Coach Todd had one of the most beautiful girlfriends any of us high school boys had ever seen. Her name was Michelle. She had been an All-American cheerleader at my high school a few years back and was at that time a University of Mayland cheerleader. She was always there to support him coaching us too. The tourneys could be a hundred miles away and last 18 hours in some smelly ass gym. But there she would be supporting her man, our coach, and us. In hindsight, the only thing nuttier than how much time Todd spent with us was that he had a girlfriend with so much going on that would often come be a big sister and head cheerleader for our team. Todd and Michelle were just both great people who did everything right. They were both hugely successful but always down to earth. It has been quite a while since I'd seen either of them but it still hit me like a ton of bricks when I read the following yesterday. 

Several years ago I stood in front of a crowded room with the great honor of giving the best man speech at Todd and Michelle's wedding. The night before as most people do I jotted down a few words for the joyous occassion so I would know what to say. Well, as the time came for me to speak I quickly glanced down the table and saw what true love really meant as those two sat there with gleaming smiles holding hands. It didn't take long before the words were rolling off my tongue because it was apparent to myself and everyone else in the room that my brother had found his perfect wife and partner. You know it's funny when we lose someone you always hear how special the person was or how sweet and generous they were. I don't have to say any of this, because there is not a single friend, neighbor, or family member that already doesn't know this and will hold these sentiments in their hearts forever. As I sat and spoke with Michelle for the last time, I couldn't stop crying and she looked up at me with her confident smile and said "no tears, everything is going to be okay, everything is going to be okay". So for those of you who will shed tears for her, please know that Michelle Deltufo is now "okay". All my love, Danny

Todd and Michelle had been together since middle school. The only love either ever had. She leaves behind three children ages 15, 10, and 7. Todd Jr is a wresting champion in his own right these days. Michelle was only 44. Breast cancer is what took her. I don't even know why I decided to post this here. I guess I wanted to tell others what awesome people Todd and Michelle are. I also wanted to admit to someone that I cried this morning walking my dogs over old friends not seen in 20 years. Maybe there is also a lesson in this story. That love and caring for others is all we got in the end. And Michelle did it right. May she RIP.