"If I did not have a good backup plan then, I had already learned in life, having a backup excuse for not having a backup plan was the next best thing." Once Upon Reflection follows the life of Max Wisemen as he traces his roots back through his Russian grandparents to his present day deathbed. He recounts his childhood foibles and how he fell into the life of artist and how that would shape his world. HIs tale is laced with ancestors who haunt him, influence him and encourage him in the world. His life is comprised of an eclectic group of characters, but mostly by the 4 women who would become his wives in succession and help him to grow as an artist and a man who learns how to love at the end of his days.