35 years ago yesterday, the picture above was taken. It was 1976. That was my parents wedding day. My parents got married at the church where my grandfather was a pastor and my mom had been worshiping for several years. My grandfather and Mom's Uncle Eugen married them. I've looked through the pictures of my parents wedding day several times. The picture that always gets me is the one of my mom sitting on my gramp's lap crying. I'm not sure why she was crying but the thing that I remember most about that picture is how big my gramps was smiling. It went from ear to ear. He was glowing almost like it was his wedding day. I remember that smile because that's the same smile I got from him whenever I would come visit. There's also been a picture of my parents on their wedding day hanging in my living room ever since I can remember. At first, I didn't know it was them because you couldn't see all of Mom's face and Dad has this look on his face like he's got something up his sleeve.
The world has changed a lot since my parents wedding day. A lot has happened in those 35 years for my parents as well.
Two very big things that came out of my parents marriage are my brother and me. I say we were big things because we weren't exactly small when we were born weighing in at 8 and almost 10 pounds respectively. My brother is the first born and he was born in 1981. I was second and I was born in 1988. My parents decided before either one of us were born that they didn't want to know what we would be until we were born. They felt like it would ruin the surprise when we were actually born. Since then, they've watched us grow up, graduate from high school and college, and start out in the real world. For my brother, they've also watched him graduate from seminary with 2 degrees, get married, and ordained. They'll see me get married one day....but that's a topic for another time.
My dad was in the military when my parents got married. He was in the Army Reserves. He'd go away for a weekend a month and for 2 weeks sometime during the year for training. One day before my 3rd birthday, my dad was activated for the first Desert Storm. This ment that my dad had to leave my brother and as well was my mom to go serve our country. We're very blessed that he never left the states but we were without him for longer than we liked. I can vaguely remember driving to Washington DC with my mom and brother to visit my dad. My dad retired from the military when I was 7 and has been able to be with us since.
They've also had their fair share of loss as well as hard times. My dad has had both of his parents pass away during their marriage. Mom has also lost her father. They have been the people that have taken charge of these situations and did what they could with them in order for it all to work out. They led the charge of cleaning out my grandparents' house after Grandma and Sweetie Pie (Dad's parents) passed away and did the same for cleaning out Gram and Gramps' house, condo, and room in an assisted living facility. Dad has lost his job a couple of times too. Going from 2 incomes to 1 while you have children in college is really difficult. They figured out a way for it to all work out in the end though.
I have a wonderful example of marriage before me because of my parents. I know that I will be truly blessed to have a marriage that goes for as long as their's has with Lee when that time comes.
Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! You are the example of For Better or For Worse, For Richer or For Poorer, and In Sickness and In Health. I love you.
No comments:
Post a Comment