MAMA AND... DAD

One of my cousins gave me this picture of Mama and my dad, whom I don't really know what to call so I call him by his first name. He and Mama divorced when I was around two and I don't remember him and have only met him once in trying circumstances, in which another brave cousin went with me to attempt to talk to him. (Our grandmother's funeral - his mother.) I don't understand it, nor does any of his family, all of whom have embraced me. But as I said, I have tried on occasion to make contact. I'm sorry he never got to know me or Amy or Paul. So anyway, there's that story and here's this wonderfully sweet picture of innocent times. Mama appeared to be around 17 or 18. (She had me at 19.) Details of the picture - the floral background, the floral dress - I bet the roses were pink - the banded ruffle at the bottom of the sleeve. the little heart necklace. The dark lipstick! The wonderfully full curly hair - the Kewpie curl on top. She was beautiful. Amy and Morgan look a lot like her here. He was good-looking, too. And tall. Probably at least six inches taller than Mama. Who wouldn't have fallen for him? (And someone else did and they had three sons.) Then I wonder... All the alternatives that life would have held - no Sherron, no Mike, no Steve. Possibly no Paul or Amy. Although it was terribly sad and hard for her and probably for him, I'm thankful for my life and my siblings, nieces and nephews. I can't imagine them being anyone else or having a different life. I suppose my thankfulness extends to him in that they gave me life.