Reunion – Day Four

Yesterday Bernie and I hung out at Sally’s in the morning. My cousin, Sally, worked in her younger days as a beautician. She fussed with my hair. She called it practicing for today. It looked fabulous when we left to go visit relatives. But it sagged through the day. I told her this morning that maybe I should not wear it long today for the reunion luncheon. She said she has another idea. We’ll see.

First we went to see my cousin, Mary, in Kenosha Wisconsin. I love Mary. She is opinionated in a brutal way. Think Rosanne Barr. She gave me a letter my mother had written to her before she died. Mary was really close to my parents and is able to tell me stories of them that I’ve not heard. Isn’t it true that we don’t really know our parents until others tell stories of their encounters with them. It seems we see our parents in a new light, usually a better light, than through our own eyes. At least that is true for me.

Then we went to visit my brother and his family. I especially enjoyed seeing my niece, Denise, and her husband and two little boys. Whenever I encounter the twenty and thirty- year-olds among my relations, I always think they are so much smarter than I was when I was their age. Is this from watching Oprah and Dr. Phil? Don’t laugh. I don’t recall being challenged to look deeply at my behaviors and relationships by anybody when I was a young adult.

Driving back to Sally’s, Bernie and I realized how exhausted we are becoming. I went to bed and was sleeping by 8:30 pm. Got a good 8 1/2 hours sleep. Blogging and ready to face the most important part of this visit…my 50th high school reunion.