He was married to my mother’s younger sister Emily. I don’t remember how old I was when they married, but I know I was in elementary school. I wish I had copies of all the pictures I’ve seen of family members. There is one in particular of Emily and Tommy. They look as if they belong in the movie “The Godfather”. I remember baby sitting their children when they went out and he would sit and watch “The Midnight Special” with me when they got back home. I remember driving him home one afternoon from our house in my Camero. He told me I drove like Steve McQueen.
But my most favorite memory is him calling me in January of 1993 just after I had turned 31. He called because he had bet a guy at work that the Dallas Cowboys wouldn’t make it to the Super Bowl. Well apparently they did win and he and my aunt were going to take this guy, Doug, out to dinner in payment of their bet. He thought I might like to meet them there. “He’s a really nice guy and I thought ya’ll might get along.” I think that’s what he said.
I don’t remember the exact date, but it was a Saturday night. I was to meet them at a Chinese restaurant on Highway 80. I am very rarely late for anything, and that night was not any different. As I parked my car and walked towards the door, I noticed a nice looking guy in a red shirt and wranglers standing outside the door with his back towards me. He was blue eyed and had a lovely fu manchu mustache. I figured it might be the guy, but not being sure I just walked on past him. To this day Doug will tell you that I walked by him with my nose in the air!!
The four of us had a very nice dinner. After we were done we all convoyed over to my house in Summerfields. We all sat and talked for awhile. Then the three of them left together. I watched out the peep hole while my uncle had a conversation with Doug. My aunt and uncle drove off and Doug walked back up to my door. We talked a little while longer and then he asked for my phone number.
All of that happened towards the end of January. He called me about 10 days later on a Wednesday and asked me out for that Saturday night. I couldn’t go because I was teaching a Sunday School class that was having a youth thing all weekend long. He said “What about Sunday night?” I said yes. Now that Sunday was Valentine’s day. He showed up at my door with roses and a sweet smile, but a very tailored mustache. I asked him what happened to his mustache and he said he had trimmed it back because he thought it might scare me.
Doug is my true soul mate. How my Uncle Tommy saw or knew that, I’ll never know. But it was the very best thing that anyone has every done for me. I can’t imagine what my life would be like if the Cowboys had lost that Super Bowl.