Tears and Laughter (again)

Nice weekend!

Family! People who might as well be Family!

Thirty Five years ago, M and I had a surprise party for Milt, Alu and Boris, three friends who were all turning 40. One of them had then just recently had a coronary and the gathered guests in our home spoke a bit before the arrival of the guests of honor ... "How loud?" "What do we do if he has another myocardial infarction?" "Now that would be hard to explain!"

Now Milt and Alu were turning 75 and M was celebrating a birthday, as were my daughter-in-law, another M, and a number of M and my grandchildren. No surprises, this time, and Boris had gone over to the dark side -- he retired/moved, that is, in/to Sunny San Diego. No. No surprises. At 75, one doesn't take chances. It's likely a sufficiency in the Last Quarter to take such chances during sex and sex may be better than Surprise Parties ... hard to say. I digress!

It wasn't a huge party but big enough to fill up three or four rooms.

Connections?

Our kids, A, A & J (we coulda had a PB&J) forever, beginning 1966 

-- at least, as forevers go.

And their tribes!

For M and I, we've known Milt and Alu for a long time ... 

Milt and his lady, the Unflappable Ruthie? since 1968.

Bill knew them longer and M and I have known Bill and Phyllis since 1968.

Alu? only for 40 years and his wife Bobbi for half that time.

D&D couldn't come. D was turning 85.

Leah, my beautiful niece? for all 48 of her years. Her family? as it grew.

Our neighbor, Patti, for only 33 years.

The Grandspawn? as they came.

I could go on. I found it difficult to toast the crew. Made some silly witticisms. But mostly spoke of being struck by being at a moment in my relationships with many that was special in that it couldn't be repeated. Maybe the Buddhists are right about never stepping into the same river twice and maybe, just maybe, these situations are only dramatically different. Who knows? Do know that I love these people and the many others who came with their Souls ready to Sing in celebrating these moments with us.

M and I met in February 1965 and were married not long after: there is no repetition of a 50 year relationship. Milt, Alu and Bill? The odds of us getting together 40 years from now are dismal ... as the commercial for MasterCard has it: "irreplaceable." The joy of meeting this Sunday? ...

Wistful tears and (enlarged) belly-laughs of a band of Merry Pranksters and Serious Souls that once were and, in many ways, still are? Tears and Laughter, food a-plenty and a half case of wine.

May the Playing in this Sacred Fourth Quarter continue.

By the way ... 

10 hours from now and some many years ago, 

M appeared to her Mom and Dad for the first time. 

Happy Birthday, M.