I’ve been blessed with an interesting life.

I grew up in a great family, love life, enjoy sports and have a Godly wife, four children, 15 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

I have an exciting life and a hobby of meeting new people.

I believe if you’re sincerely interested in others, you never meet a stranger.

Friday morning, when I went to PJ’s for coffee, my good friend, Tom Daley, was at a table with someone I had never met.

It happened to be his brother, Anthony, from Naypac, N.Y. I, immediately, discerned that he was a man with class and integrity.

In our short conversation, I found out his wife, Maria, was from New Orleans and that they met when she was attending Loyola. They have five children — two boys and three girls.

He was in Louisiana, not only to visit his brother, but also to bring his youngest daughter to LSU, where she is enrolled as a freshman. We didn’t talk long, but Anthony told me they would be in LaPlace until Sunday.

I called Tom, Sunday, and talked to Anthony. I questioned him about his children and asked permission to write about our visit.

His oldest son, Sean, lives in New York and graduated from the University of Vermont in mechanical engineering.

His daughter, Carey, a graduate of George Mason University with a business major in marketing, lives in California.

Nicole graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in exercise science and lives in North Carolina. She is employed by an orthopedic surgeon.

Paul is a junior at the University of West Virginia, majoring in mechanical engineering.

Megan, the youngest, wants to be a teacher. She is attending LSU and is majoring in education.

Anthony said she was accepted at a few colleges, but chose LSU, because a counselor advised her to pick a school where she could see herself living after graduation. This is a credit to our state that we, as natives, sometimes take for granted.

I also found out Anthony makes each child sign a promissory note when they go to college.

“That motivates them to finish in four years,” he said.

After graduation, they are expected to reimburse their parents for the cost of their education only, at terms decided by the graduate, according to their income. I think that’s a great idea!

Anthony and Tom grew up in a family of 13 children. Their mom and dad had to be exceptional parents!

Needless to say, meeting Anthony was a pleasure.

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 e-mail: hkeller@comcast.net.