An organ donor gave me more time with my wife. Those memories will last a lifetime.

Note from Columbus Dispatch Opinion Editor Amelia Robinson: This column was written as part of a series on Black love ahead of "A Night Focusing on Black Love and Relationships" 7 p.m. Sunday Feb. 18 at the King Art Complex, 867 Mount Vernon Ave, Columbus. Visit facebook.com/MaleBehavioralHealth for more information.

We never know the time and place of when we or our loved ones will leave this Earth. The time you spend with loved ones is a gift and never take that for granted.

Helen and I were both from Cincinnati.

We met in September 2005 at an event we both were working. We exchanged numbers after the night was over and made a date to meet up for lunch. The time we spent with each was effortless. Shortly after we met, I was called up for an active-duty military assignment in Germany.

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I had to go train in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, in November 2005. We spent as much time together as we could before I had to leave.

After training, our unit was being sent to Germany for permanent assignment. The decision was made for her to come visit me in Germany and I return home on annual leave time. I was stationed in Germany for a year and a half, and within that time I had come home once, and Helen was able to visit Germany. When I came home for a visit, I had proposed to Helen and asked her to marry me. She said “yes,” and we had set a date for November 2007.

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In 2013, Helen was offered a new position in the company she worked for in Dallas, Texas. We had discussed the new opportunity and felt it was a great move for our future. I only had a little more time left in the military. So, we sold our house, and Helen relocated to Texas with plans for me to join her in about a year.

However, the company decided to relocate the department Helen worked in to Wilmington, Delaware. This was not a relocation that worked for us. Helen moved back to Columbus, where we began to build a house. Shortly after breaking ground on the new lot, Helen became seriously ill.

She was admitted into the hospital for observation, but doctors determined she needed a double lung transplant. Helen was placed on the organ donor list and received her donation of life in November 2017. She passed away in February 2019.

The thing I learned the most about my wife during this time was how strong and grateful of a person she was. She never stopped loving me and the family. Helen was a true fighter in every sense possible.

The thing I learned about myself during this process was the belief of God and the trust of family. Friends and family are very important and you should never that them or time for granted.

Helen’s spirit lives with all of those she has encountered. Her personality and smile would light up any room she walked into and made you feel welcomed.

If you haven’t done so already, please consider becoming an organ donor. With the gift of donation, I was able to spend a little more time with Helen Patricia Meriweather. Lifeline of Ohio has a great source of information and could make you feel comfortable in your decision.

I think grief lasts for while after you lose a loved one, but the memories of that person last a lifetime.

Cincinnati native Alphonso Meriweather lives in Columbus. He retired from the U.S Army in October 2015 after 25 years of service and currently enjoys volunteering, riding motorcycle, traveling and playing golf. 

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: 'Strong and grateful.' How organ donation gave Columbus man more time