Tallahassee, FL.  A birthday was looming. Like all birthdays, this would be the biggest one yet.  It was a milestone, and I wanted to share it with the one person I know and love who would be achieving the same milestone on the same day.

  
In 1950, my grandparents received news.  Their younger daughter had a baby girl.  That was me.  Later on the same day, they were notified that their older daughter had a baby boy.  That was Bruce, my twin cousin.  When we were children, I never let him forget that I was older than him by about four hours.  Now, he's the one reminding me.

  

The twin cousins

Bruce has always been wittier, funnier, taller, and much smarter than me.  The only thing I had on him was age, and I had to play the card I was dealt.  Bruce's wit is so sharp that I have to make a concerted effort to stay on my toes or some of his quips sail right over my head.  Such as the time he called to check on my broken arm. "You still flying in circles?"  he asked.  After a beat or two, when I caught up, I finally replied, "Uh, yeah, I am." 

A master mimic, Bruce can perfectly impersonate our grandfather, his dad, or his brothers, leaving everyone roaring with laughter.  He constantly finds opportunities to make others laugh and help them enjoy life.  This gift is even extended to strangers he encounters.  Spending my 60th birthday with this special birthday buddy was the perfect antidote to any latent concerns about aging.  So we packed up and headed to Tallahassee.

Visiting Bruce comes with added benefits.  First, there's his beautiful wife June, a gracious hostess who thinks of even the tiniest detail to make guests feel welcome and comfortable.  With a refined decorating sense and loving heart, she has created a luxurious guest suite and hospitable home that make visitors feel pampered and eager to return.

  

These girls know how to party.

And there's Bruce and June's adorable granddaughter Reese.  Almost four years old, this bright and imaginative young lady has a knowledge base and emotional sensibility well beyond her years.  She clearly has a mutual adoration society with both these grandparents, with whom she is lucky enough to spend two days each week.

  

Bruce and his birthday posse.

Completing this lovely family are son Adam and his charming wife Jessica, Reese's parents.  Both are very successful in their chosen occupations but have wisely achieved a life-sustaining balance between careers, family devotion and dedication to health and fitness.  They are currently training for an upcoming marathon.

Spending my 60th birthday with my twin Bruce and his family made it a special event I will always remember fondly.  Even though I turned 60 four hours before he did, it could not have been a better day.