I would like to take a moment to congratulate my parents on year 48.
My mom tells me they married in Vegas with twenty dollars to their names. "Nobody," she says, "has any business gettin' married with so little to their name and no real game plan for the future."
They do not have a wedding photo, a mansion on a hill, a limousine with driver, or a yacht moored in Miami. No one will string bunting across streets, festoon government buildings
with ceremonial pennants, or declare June 6th a federal holiday. My parents do not own a television set larger than 32" square. They do not have more than one bathroom in their three-bedroom home of 36-ish years. My dad went to work everyday at a job he didn't necessarily find thrilling, but he never complained because it meant Mom could stay home to raise us kids.
That didn't mean we didn't have Art or Music or Joy. We were never wanting for a new box of crayons, a new book, or a new bicycle. They were never afraid to say "I love you", even when situations looked bleak. And skipping through the supermarket parking lot hand in hand is a memory I wouldn't trade for all the world's tea. And I can drink a lot of tea. Especially when that tea is accompanied with scones.
My parents taught me everything I need to know about life. They showed me Love is ultimately about Sacrifice, Honor, and Respect. I know that in this life anything is possible through hard work and selfless dedication, and a healthy dose of humor.
They still show this in their marriage, and they make it look easy. They still hold hands in the supermarket parking lot, although age has restricted their ability to skip. They still say "I love you" like it's going out of style. They don't plan on getting a better television because the one they have still works just fine. Their game plan for the future involves living life the best they can. "I don't know. 48 years...do you think it'll work?" my mom baits with a glint in her eye while my dad flashes his "Harrison Ford" smile and replies, "Yeah, I think I'll keep ya."
So without further ado, Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! May the next 48 still find you hand in hand, skipping through parking lots and still unafraid to say "I love you".
All my love, prayers, and thoughts
The Dotter
Congratulations to them! What a lovely tribute and beautiful memories. I think your parents did very well despite having only $20 to their names back then, it sounds like they did a great job of raising their children and that's the biggest challenge, job and reward. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! Mom said "I wanna meet these people." Apparently I made her cry.
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
This tribute to your parents is a joy. Such details. Lovely job.
DeleteThanks! It was better than any card I could have found. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts!
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