These two smiling people are my parents. They are smiling because they just got married (obviously from the attire) and were feeling pretty happy. They were just youngsters at the time…truly youngsters, only 18 years old, both of them. This picture was taken 60 years ago this month. They celebrated their 60th anniversary on March 9th. It seems fairly amazing for two people to be married that long, in this day and age, anyway. But if you knew my parents, you wouldn’t be amazed at all.
They are two of the loveliest people I know. Not only do I love them, because they are my Mom and Dad, but I like them for who they are. They are kind, generous, open-hearted people. They are intelligent and full of good, old-fashioned common sense.
They are wonderful parents who raised three children into well-adjusted, productive citizens. They were consistent and strict but never mean. They are supportive of us in our endeavors and express pride in us, even now, for our accomplishments. We never, ever doubted that we were loved. I didn’t realize, until I was an adult, how lucky I was to have the kind of parents and upbringing I had. My friends have joked for years that I grew up in a Norman Rockwell painting.
Their marriage is a shining example of what a relationship should be. Of course, they’ve had ups and downs, like every couple, but they’ve weathered them intact. They taught us by their example that it’s important to communicate with each other and to laugh together. It’s obvious, if you are around them for any length of time, that they love and respect each other. They are still as happy as they were in that picture.
So, I am taking this opportunity to honor them…for who they are and for the longevity of their marriage. Thanks, Mom and Dad.
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