Time takes its toll on us as we go through life and we pay dearly some times. I have no complaints for I have been blessed more than most. Time and life have given me my memories that were worth it at every turn. That’s not to say that I haven't suffered or experienced loss or pain, because I have and I know more is to come, but I have no regrets.  I have my health problems just as everyone has. I have noticed that my health is getting worse as the years go by and I hope that God allows me to live for a long time yet. I have more to see and do. If not, don't mourn me, celebrate me, I have loved every breath I have taken and every step I have walked. The things I have seen, the places I have gone, the women I have loved and those that loved me back are more than any person could have dreamed about coming true. I have a loving family and friends that keep me happy. What more could any man have asked for. My wife of 32 years is an angel that God made especially for me and she deserved better than me. So I'm not going to complain about the small things in my life that are inconvenient, because I have seen what hell is like and I'm living in Heaven, so what could I complain about that would be worth complaining about.  

I knew that I had to reunite with my very first love and 2^nd cousin Wendy. She was a big part of who I am and why I’m married to the lady I’m married to now.  I was so apprehensive of even bringing up the subject but my wife was the one that actually brought up the idea of a reunion so we tried to set a date for the Labor Day weekend at my cousin Jean’s house. I had just started a new job and wasn’t sure whether or not I could get the time off and, low and behold, I didn’t even have to ask for the time off, it was already scheduled that way.  Now I ask you, is that not fate or what?  I could only hope that Ursula and Wendy would get along. I thought that the odds were against it but I had faith in my girls. They are as intelligent as they are beautiful and they also have pretty good taste in men.  Ha Ha!  The whole way there I had no clue what to talk about or what not to talk about with my wife.  I hadn’t kept any secrets from her. She knew the extent of how I felt about Wendy and I also hadn’t kept any secrets from Wendy about how much I love my wife.  I kind of felt like I was caught between a rock and a hard place. I so much wanted Wendy to like Ursula and I wanted Ursula to like my cousin Jean (Wendy’s mom) and her husband Jack, and my (2^nd) cousin Wendy. I had never met Jean before because she had moved to the West Coast while I was still a small child.  I find it almost unbelievable that I had never met Wendy and her brother when we were young kids as often as we were over at my aunt Lucille’s and Uncle Luther’s house. It has to be fate that we never met unitl we were in our late teens as if it was meant to be a much larger relationship in our life. I am a champion of fate or that things happen for a reason, so you see if everything had not worked as God had intended, I would not have the wonderful relationship that I now have with Wendy and I may not have found my wife Ursula.  And we may not have had this wonderful reunion that we had this Labor Day weekend. 

I enjoyed myself as much as I ever had in my life. We watched hummingbirds and cardinals and doves at the bird feeder and also watched as several deer were feeding on the back lawn and one of the fawn’s nursing for a very long time. It was simply magic and I guess that would be how to describe the whole weekend. It was simply magic, my wife and my very special cousin seemed to get along marvelously or maybe it was just the calm before the storm and I just haven’t felt their wrath yet but I really don’t think so. We talked about family and the old times and argued about whether it was 1974 or 1975 that Wendy and I met. I must admit I’ve never been that great with dates so I will bow to her recollection rather than mine because she seems to be a little better with dates.  We ate two wonderful meals that Jack and Jean had lovingly prepared. Jean was not feeling like herself because she has had hip problems and is going for an operation soon.  I pray that all goes well and that we will all be back together soon because I love and miss my family dearly.  My Aunt Lucille, Jean’s mother and Wendy’s grandmother, was my rock and my confidant when I needed her most when I was young. I loved her and my gentle giant of a man, my uncle Luther, very, very much.  It was almost like going home at my cousin Jean’s house and, of course, all of my aunt Lucille’s girls were always so very kind to me (maybe it was my curly hair and my blue eyes) and I am so appreciative to all of them forever.

During that summer romance oh so many years ago, my cousin Wendy and I had taken a picture standing in front of my little red VW Beetle and I had to recreate that picture at our reunion standing in front of my blue BMW.  I was so proud of being with my W’s then and now. You can’t believe how I felt back then and and how I feel now.  Oh, maybe I should enlighten you on what I mean by my W’s. I drove a little car back then, a vW and now I drive a bmW and my Women were by side each time, Wendy and my Wife. All of you people reading this could ask why I would do such a thing as to introduce my wife to my first love. Well, it was exactly what it should have been and more than I hoped it would be when they met and I guess the answer you seek is something so hard to describe that you would just had to have been there.  I will always have an extra special place in my heart for my lovely cousin Wendy, but I will go home with and love, cherish and honor my loving wife Ursula.  Thank you so much girls for making it so very special for me.  

P. S. Wendy is as pretty as I remember!