Today is a painful day for me. It is a reminder of the bridges i have burned and the people I care about deeply who have exited my life, never to return.

Wendy Wall celebrates her 44th birthday today. If I knew where on earth she was, I would like to send her flowers. If she would connect with me on Facebook, I would certainly wish her happy birthday and leave a heartfelt message, much as i did for Brittany Davidson yesterday. If I had her cell phone number, I would have texted her at 12:01 a.m.

However, Wendy has forgotten me. And that hurts.

I first met Wendy in March 1997 at an NCAA women’s basketball tournament game at LSU. She had been brought in by Michael Bonnette, LSU’s media relations contact for the women’s basketball team, to help on press row, like I was doing. Strangely enough that night, Rebecca Borne was also there. Her dad, Dan, did the public address for the two games played the previous Saturday, since regular announcer Bill Franques was with the LSU baseball team at Georgia, but Bill returned Monday, although Dan was at the game Monday just in case.

Wendy was already married by time I met her. She is six years older than me and was taking graduate courses at the LSU Manship School of Journalism when she came to wok in the sports information office that fall. I really came to like her. She was genuine and truly nice, something I had not found in many women I met up until that point.

She was the media relations contact for softball during the 1998 season. I was busy with baseball during that time, but I would find a way to help her whenever I could.

I’ll never forget one day when I was driving back to Alex Box Stadium after making a run to get drinks for Bill and I at a convenience store near campus. I saw Wendy leaving the journalism building as I was turning onto North Stadium Drive, which runs between Tiger Stadium and the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. I saw her and honked my horn. She turned around and smiled, and of course I drove her back to the athletic administration building instead of making her walk. She laughed at the giant drinks I had for Bill and myself.

There was another time where I had no idea where Wendy was one Wednesday morning. I knew she worked late the previous night because of a softball doubleheader. I couldn’t reach her at home or on her cell, and I told Michael I was worried. When I came back to the sports information office after a visit to the baseball office, Wendy was sitting in Michael’s office. I was flabbergasted. She thought the whole thing was really sweet that I was concerned about her.

Wendy left LSU in October 1998 to take a job in Houston, and her husband Sid found a great job too. My dad, my brother and I joined them for dinner one night in 2000 when we were in Houston to watch the Astros play the Royals. My dad took a real liking to her, too.

Wendy gave birth to son Davis in 2002. I heard from her near Christmas 2003, but I haven’t since. I’ve cried a number of times over it. I would give anything to see her. She’s a notch below Stacie Dauterive Seube, Toni LaRocca, Brenda LeBlanc and now Elizabeth Psenski and the ladies of Buffalo Wild Wings, but Wendy still means an awful lot to me.

If I had 10 ladies on a list I would give anything to see again, Stacie would be first. Toni second. Brenda third. Wendy would probably rank fourth, probably ahead of Tiffany Peperone and even Renetta Rogers.

I know we’re all supposed to go on with our lives. It doesn’t mean we can’t lament the relationships which have passed us by.