Life happens day-to-day,
minute-to-minute. Like the saying goes, the days go slowly but the years
pass quickly. Well, the years are passing very quickly.
Today is actually very
close to the anniversary of my husband and my first date, July 24th, 1978. On that summer evening, I remember I didn’t
feel very well, but didn’t want to cancel for fear that he would take it wrong
and assume I didn’t want to go out with him. So, with my stomach in
knots, I got dressed, took some medicine for my stomachache, and off we went.
Our first stop was a
restaurant in Narberth. It was a very fancy restaurant and I remember
sharing a peach melba, a dessert I had never ordered before or after that time,
even though it was very delicious! After dinner, he gave the parking attendant
the ticket for his car and I noticed his shirt collar was sticking up over his
jacket. Without thinking, I straightened it and caught a glimpse of a
warm twinkle in his eye.
At that time, David
belonged to a private club in Center City Philadelphia, The Second Story. From
dinner we headed to the club to do some disco dancing. Yes, it was that
long ago…
During one dance in
particular, with the smoke billowing up on the dance floor around us, David
twirled me and the thought popped into my head, “this is the guy you’re going
to marry’.
Three weeks later we were
engaged. Yep, three short weeks. But, in those three weeks we saw
each other every day. We talked for hours on the porch and we laughed and
confided in each other all our hopes, fears, dreams and goals. It was a
magical time.
That was almost 35 years
ago. Hard to believe that so much time has passed. Thirty-five
years!! In those years we have had the privilege of sharing life!!
From buying cars, furniture and houses to every mundane daily chore to the
ultimate joy of raising our two amazing children. It is together that we have
walked, crawled, run every step of the way. We have beamed with pride
from the time we first knew our children were conceived, we have worried about
them, cared for them, played with them, watched over them, thoroughly enjoying
every moment with them, up to and including this present time when we are so
very proud of who each of them has become! Now, with our daughter
planning her wedding and our son earning his PhD, we look at each of them and
feel an over-powering love - so honored and so very proud of them.
Together we have moved
from our cute, first apartment to our first house where our daughter was born.
From that home we moved to another where our son was born and from there we
moved to our present home. We worried, with each move, could we afford
it? We worried if it was the right time. Then, we would get excited
about the new hopes and new experiences to come!
Together we decided when
to put in our pool, go on vacation, redo the kitchen and put in a patio.
Together, when my father became ill, we invited my parents come live with us in
what was built and lovingly called, "The Edifice".
Together we survived too
many tragic losses.
As my Dad's illness
became worse, when he suffered with his strokes, we would run down and be
with him and my mom while we waited for 911. I would hold my Dad up so he
wouldn’t choke and David, many times, would pick him up from the floor if he
fell.
When we decided to have
my Dad’s final days in the house that had become his home, too, hospice
installed his bed in the living room of the Edifice. When I woke up for
some reason, in the middle of the night, right at the time my Dad passed, it
was David who heard my Mom calling up the steps while I was in the bathroom.
I will never forget the look on his face when I walked out and he told me we
had just lost my Dad.
Although Dave and I
purchased our first dog, Pumpkin, before the children were born, it was as a family
that we loved her for so many years. After the sad day when Pumpkin was
put to sleep, it was as a family we chose our little Popcorn. Then, so
many years later, it was Dave and I, who had to take our cute little Popcorn,
who was so very, very sick, for his final ride.
When I was laid off from
my company and lost a nice paying position, ending up working for just a few
dollars more than minimum wage, Dave was right there to tell me it would be
okay. He was supportive of the happiness I found in my part-time retail
job, never once complaining about the tighter financial situation we were in.
Most days slip by, the
lucky, simple days, with dinner, tv and phone calls, some days a bit of illness comes in and some fun days consist of beautiful cruise holidays. But, no matter if the day is ordinary or not,
Dave and I have shared them. We have fought with each other, loved
each other, and yelled at each other, at times, we probably thought we couldn’t
stand each other, but through it all we made our way through. Our
next stage, the “empty-nester” stage is here. I am looking forward to
sharing so many more experiences with my wonderful husband. He has seen
me at my worst and at my best and he is always there beside me.
There are no guarantees
in life. No one knows what the days, weeks and years will bring, but I
can tell you one thing, standing at this vantage point with the same person who
loved me when I was 20, the man who has been with me every step of the way,
good, bad, ugly, whatever, means the world. The confidence that I have,
the strength that I gain from him makes me the richest woman in the world.
As we look forward to years to come, hoping for the best, and we look back on
the years we’ve shared, I feel so fortunate. There is nothing as special
as standing together, after all this time, and knowing that my husband and I
have built a beautiful life, one I wouldn’t trade for all the money in the
world.
Our song, by Englebert
Humperdink, Enjoy!!…….
