Cousin Peter

Peter recently died at age 85 after a long illness following open heart surgery.  I remember him best when I was little.  His mother, my Aunt, took care of me while Mom worked.  Peter was home from the service.  I knew little of the war.  He was in the Navy and returned to sea to participate in the Normandy Invasion.
I was about 3 or 4 and he spend hours with me on the front porch entertaining me (keeping me out of my Aunt's hair).  He was full of tricks and stories that were amazing fun to a child.  He took me out, too.  I have never forgotten those hours on my Aunt's porch with Petie. 
No long ago he told me that spending time with me was very helpful to him.  He was on R&R and I helped him forget some of what he saw in the war.  The time I treasured with hiim had helped him too.
I'll always remember Petie and the time I spent with him and his parents.  I just happy that in some small way it was helpful to him too.