In an oddly ironic way I was over prepared for today. Usually when a holiday or birthday comes along which requires me to buy a greeting card I buy it on the way to the party or on the way to buy stamps. This year I found the perfect card for Mom and Dad’s anniversary in June. Today is their 59th anniversary. Here’s the card.
It was a card I bought mostly for Dad’s sense of humor. My Mom is a refined lady and she would have laughed politely at it. Then she would have said, “Oh Shelly, that’s terrible.” I imagined that Dad would have chuckled loudly and then passed the card around the dining table for everyone to enjoy while we enjoyed some ice cream.
In the last ten or so years, as happens in retirement, Mom and Dad were almost always together. Doctor visits, lunches, hardware store trips, bus tours and snow birding in Alabama were always done together. After a visit with a doctor Mom and Dad would compare notes of what each of them thought the doctor had said during the visit. The facts were usually somewhere in between both of their recollections.
One of the adjustments which has been hard to share with Mom is watching her get used to life without Dad around to do the stuff he always did. He was a fixer. If there was a problem Dad would work out a solution for it. He was the McGyver of his generation. In spite of the desire to sometimes avoid the changes in her life, she is taking them on. Mom you are a TOB, Tough Old Broad. I am in awe of you. It seems like the most courageous act in these days after Dad’s death is getting up, getting dressed and taking on the day.
Mom and Dad in Gulf Shores in 2012
So I share this card and my pictures of Mom and Dad with the world today. Fifty nine years is a long time. They made it look easy but it takes commitment and patience to stay married that long. Thanks Mom and Dad for giving me such a great example of love and commitment.
Shelly Speaks Up 