2024-12-15 “Meetings” by Merritt (born 1960)

The trip from St. Louis to Norfolk was unremarkable, but considering what we were about to do, unremarkable was a good thing. We picked up the rental car and headed for Virginia Beach… Sandfiddler Road.

The four of us pulled up and… Emma… was waiting…

I cannot accurately tell you what this was like. I’m sure there are not enough adjectives  in all the world to explain how surreal everything was. The 59 year old Emma’s first words were so fitting.

“Well now… here we are!”

It didn’t feel like a quaint greeting; more so a declaration of… truth.

She directed us around to the beach side of the house, and I found myself standing face to face with… me. 

The me with the scar on the side of the right knee from a bike wreck when I was ten. The me that had burned his hand working fast food when I was 16. The me that, I guess, I would have become if I hadn’t skipped forward 40 years.

The old Kent summed up everything perfectly. “Wow.”

Then, the old me said, “Do you suppose we’d implode the universe if we shook hands?”

Young Emma replied. “Find out!”

I shook hands with myself… no words… The Kents and Hannahs shook hands, too, but the Emma’s hugged.

The universe didn’t implode. No black holes formed. We stepped back and just stared.

Young Kent seemed first to find some sort of normal footing. “So, you guys own this place?”

Old Hannah nodded, and Old Kent answered. “Yeah, us four, but it’s just a little more complicated than that…”

Young Hannah smiled. “We know about Traveling Friends, LLC.”

Old Hannah smiled. “We’ll talk about that later. The kids are on their way to meet you.”

Young Kent looked at young Hannah, then at old Kent. “Kids?”

Old Emma replied with a smile. “They can’t stay long. Grandson has soccer… 6 years old…

Young Emma’s smile widened. “Grandson!”

Old Hannah smiled, too. “Their oldest son married our oldest daughter… Let’s go inside where it’s warm and we can show you pictures.”

Marriages, Kids, and Grandkids

Merritt and Emma married in 1987.

First son Ryan born 1989.

Second son Brandon born 1991

Hannah and Kent married in 1988.

First daughter Amber  born 1990.

Second daughter Melissa born 1992

In 2016, Ryan Married Amber (see above)

In 2018, Ryan and Amber birthed Justin.

In 2019, Brandon married Danielle.

In 2020, Brandon and Danielle birthed Nicole

In 2020, Melissa married Justin.