April 02, 2005

An Anniversary With No Celebration

Today would have been Mom and Dad's 49th Wedding Anniversary.  Dad says "today is just another day to me."  I'm not certain I believe him fully, but he has been doing well in the recent months since Mom passed away. 

Mom and Dad got married 6 weeks after they met.  They met in El Paso, Texas.  Dad was a GI stationed down there, and met Mom when she was a car hop. 

Dad thought his Air Force buddy needed a wife, and tried to set them up.  Dad happened to slip and tell someone he liked Mom and they were together ever since. 

Their marriage survived many ups and downs - military life takes you so many different directions in terms of travel, tours of duty without the family, war.  They survived it all - a little bumped and bruised at times, but they made it.  I loved to hear their stories about their life while in the military - boy it was a wild ride!

He stuck by her side as their vows said, through sickness and in health.  When sickness came, and consumed Mom, Dad was at her side, helping her every moment of the day, putting his own needs off indefinitely.  I admire my dad, seeing what he endured and what he very willingly sacrificed.  I really loved my Mom, but she was a bit "feisty."  Dad took the brunt of her pain and her ire as she got sick (okay, he also took the brunt of her feistiness even when she was well..ha!).  I can't even begin to imagine the challenges he had, seeing the woman he loved for almost 50 years slowly and painfully leaving this world. 

Dad has now entered another station in life and he's doing well.  He's starting to make things at home and in life "his" instead of "hers" or "theirs."  He's enjoying some of the changes - he just bought his first computer ever, at the age of 72!  He's going to get to go on his fishing trip this summer, and go deer hunting in the fall, both things he was unable to do last year due to Mom's illness. 

Happy Anniversary, Dad.  I know you said it's "just another day" for you, but the date on the calendar is one I'll remember every year.