FAMILY I MARRIED

The heart knows who it loves, and they define its family. These are mine.

One of the best things about living in North Texas is being near Ric and Judy and Nancy, three of our four kids, and their spouses. Mike lives in the far north, in a frozen place called Michigan. They’re really my step-children, but so what? Dick and I have been married for so long, (46 years, with a brief divorce that didn’t take,) that I can’t even remember a time when I didn’t love them and think of them as my own. There are some grandkids and great-grandkids around, too. Our children have great spouses/ significant others, who add to the family group. Dick’s ex-wife Nan, the kids’ mom and my “wife-in-law,” is also here. Family gatherings include us all, (dogs, too.)

Here is a poem I wrote for my step-kids:

                                           BOND

We are not bound by law nor blood.

We owe no sense of duty.

We are held close by love alone

By love alone. And that's the beauty.

Ric is our oldest son. He and his wife Fran live in  a Dallas suburb about 45 minutes away. He knows so much about computers that half the time when he and Dick are talking, they might as well be speaking Greek. (Listen, I do well to get and send e-mail.) Ric is the family electronics and mechanical wizard. If a problem arises in those areas, he just studies it for a moment, then solves it. When a railing needs repair or a light bulb needs replacing or a lamp needs to be fixed, he takes care of it. We share a passion for the Star Trek series. Fran is an RN. She has the most delightful laugh of anyone I know and the sunny disposition to go with it. She loves flowers and gardening. She and Ric are enthusiastic dancers and they are pretty good at it. She quilts and makes great jelly and tempts us at Christmas with the world’s best eggnog. She is among our kids who are always reading at least one book at any given time.

Judy is our younger daughter. I’ve never known a more talented homemaker. She feeds us all with great regularity, and her food is so good it’s impossible to say no. Her house is always sparkling and inviting, and nothing is ever even out of place. (She sure didn’t pick that up from me. She must have gotten it from Nan.) She is among the warmest and kindest of souls and is generous with her hugs and the words “I love you.” James, Judy's husband, died of cancer December 20th, 2003. It was a devastating loss, not only for Judy, but for the whole family. He was the best thing that ever happened to her, and a real blessing to all of us.

Since that time Judy has been through radical surgery for cancer in her jaw. All indications are that she is cured, but she, and all of us who love her, went through a dreadful time. We are grateful to God that she is well again. She lives with her sister in Fort Worth, and continues to brighten our days.

Nancy is a career woman, and she enjoys her position as legal assistant in a Fort Worth law firm. She was once my legal secretary, and let me tell you, she kept me on the right path. Every time I look at her perfectly manicured yard, envy surges up in my soul. Her lawn and flowers look like something out of Southern Living. She is a responsible and stable human being. Quietly, she is there for anyone in the family who needs her. If Nancy takes on a project, she completes it, and she does it well.

Mike, the youngest, and his wife Julie, live so far away that we don’t have the chance to see them often. Mike is the artistic one among us. He writes songs, sings and plays the guitar, and has even been known to write poetry. For a long time, when he wasn’t working at his day job, he had a band that played at clubs and events in the area around their part of Michigan. He still does some solo work. Mike is a sensitive, giving person. Julie works for a blood bank for animals. She isn’t just a pretty face. She has a quick, bright mind.. One of the things we love about Julie is how supportive she has always been of Mike and his music. She looked for ways to help him, even scheduling bookings for his band. And she did so with enthusiasm.

Dick and the kids

I always wanted a sister and when I married Dick, I got one. JoAnne and her husband Jim live in California, and we've made a couple of trips out there since we moved to North Texas. Once was to attend our niece's wedding, and this past year we went out for JoAnne and Jim's 50th wedding anniversary.

There's been a lot of water over the dam since JoAnne and Dick lived on West Cameron Street in Tulsa.

Nan, the children’s mother and Dick’s ex-wife, lives in an apartment adjoining Nancy’s house. She is a wonderful spades partner. I also like having a partner for lunch, and especially someone who’s my age, not 20 years younger, as everyone else seems to be.

 Every one of these folks has at least one dog and they dote on them. As far as I'm concerned, that speaks volumes about what good people they are.

There are grandkids and great-grandkids and even two great GREAT grandkids on the scene. Yes, we're THAT old!