At a high school football game in September 2010, I sat near J.P. and Wanda Lee Clement. They both attended Leon Godchaux High School in Reserve. I remember J.P. as a quiet upper-classman who lettered in football, baseball and basketball. He was always a favorite of Coach Joe Keller, who coached all three sports. I can understand why the coach liked him. He was always very polite, a team player, coachable and a good athlete.

Wanda Lee was very pretty and a good student, and she and J.P. were girlfriend and boyfriend as long as I can remember.

During the game, we talked a lot about our younger days and some of the people who attended school with us.

As most conversations between South Louisiana natives do, the topic soon turned to eating, especially desserts. I made a remark that one of my favorite desserts is coconut ba-ba. Wanda Lee shared that she had an old recipe from her mother and would call me when she made some and share it with me. So every time I’d see her, I’d remind her of the ba-ba.

Well, it’s been over a year now and, surprisingly, Monday I received a call telling me she had finally made the coconut ba-ba! She invited me to stop by Tuesday and get some.

I arrived at the Clement residence at 9 a.m. that morning. As I entered the house, I noticed a picture of their family. They have four children and had five grandchildren, but one, Colby Boudreaux, died in 2001 at age 8 of a rare form of cancer. That immediately got my attention because I remember him and knew his father.

We sat at the table and had a great visit which lasted over an hour. It was interesting to hear them share their lives with me. They have been married over 61 years. How refreshing to be with two people who loved life and each other so much!

J.P. has been a great husband, father and grandfather. He didn’t have to tell me, but it showed that he loved Wanda Lee as much or more now than when they first got married.

When I decided to leave with my ba-ba, Wanda Lee also gave me three miniature homemade pecan pies (two for me and one for Jeanne). They followed me to my car, and we talked for another 10 to 15 minutes as I sat in the car.

When I got home, I told Jeanne that I never enjoyed a visit more than mine with J.P. and Wanda Lee. Their lives are one of the best examples of what God intended life to be – family commitment, friends, love and a peace that only comes from God.

If you have any questions or comments, please write to Get High on Life, P.O. Drawer U, Reserve, LA 70084, call 985-652-8477, or email hkeller@comcast.net.