Sometimes Life Can Be Bittersweet

Recently, David and I were talking about a couple who we knew years ago

before we were married.  We met this couple while sitting around the pool of

our apartment complex.  The four of us instantly hit it off and we started doing

lots of things together.  Their names were Ken and Kathy.

They were a well educated, professional couple who had been living

abroad with Marathon Oil and were now back in the states and living

at this complex full of upwardly mobile and mostly single twenty somethings.

There were barbecues and parties around the pool every weekend and 

Ken and Kathy just fit in and had fun for a time.  

They were married and we were engaged, so our days at the swinging

single apartment complex were numbered as we were all looking to put

down more permanent and stable roots.  They were looking for a house

to buy in the West University area and we were looking there too.  Kathy

found a house first and we spent Saturdays going to tag and garage sales

looking for things to fill up their home.

We still managed to do fun things together as a couple and I have

very fond memories of the time we all rented a condo down in Galveston

for Mardi Gras.  We stood in a huge crowd of people and listened to

Otis Day and the Knights sing the iconic song Shout.

Kathy and I sang our hearts out along with Otis.  It was so much

fun and I will never forget it!

Kathy is the one who helped me find this wonderful hutch that lives

in my breakfast room.  We found it at a garage sale in West University,

and it has been with me at our homes in Virginia and Idaho and now

back in Texas.  Kathy bought a vintage car for Ken and had it restored

as a surprise for him.  When it was finished, we all got dressed up and

drove the car on our way to dinner.   Fun times, great memories.

David accepted a new job in Virginia and after our wedding we took off

for our new life there leaving Ken and Kathy behind in Texas.  We managed

to stay in touch and visited with them the first couple times we came 

back to Houston for a visit.  Then they moved again and we moved to

Idaho and unfortunately, the four of us loss touch.  

A week or so ago, David and I were sitting around talking and the

subject of Ken and Kathy came up.  I was determined to find them and

discovered an address for them in one of the coastal towns on the

Texas Gulf coast.  We found a Facebook page for Ken and so David

sent him a message.

Ken responded, but the news he shared was sad.   He lost Kathy a couple

of years ago.  He lost a wife, and we lost an old friend.  Oh how I wish we

had searched for them sooner.  

I have been thinking of Kathy since I heard the news yesterday.  She was

a sweet, cheerful and fun loving person.  I have such fond memories of

her.  Kathy, if you can hear me now, one more time, this one is for you ...

Till we meet again.  I hope that we can sing to this song

together in Heaven.

Big Texas Hugs,

Susan and Bentley