In my life, March is the month of marriages. Alan and I will celebrate 26 years of wedded bliss (okay, it wasn't all bliss, but I have not separated how many years were blissful and how many were not and overall they are all good;-), but that is just a drop in the bucket compared to our parents. On March 13th, my mother and father-in-law will celebrate 46 years and on March 16th my Mom and Dad will celebrate 48 years of marriage!! Wow, that is almost half of a century.
It is hard to describe what a gift it has been to watch these two marriages. We have watched our parents raise their kids, love their grandkids and love each other. We have also watched our parents be caretakers of their spouses. Alan's Mom has many health problems and I am not sure my father-in-law ever WALKS to get her what she needs. He RUNS. Every time. Well, it seems like every time to me. I am constantly amazed by his utter devotion and dedication to his wife. I watched my Mom sit by my Dad's intensive care bedside during their 40th wedding anniversary and saw her cry and wonder if my Dad would live to see another anniversary. My Dad suffered a traumatic brain injury and their lives have never been the same since then, but my mom's devotion to my Dad has never wavered. She has gotten tired, she has been discouraged, but she has loved him like no other. (Frankly, he is quite spoiled;-)
I know this is not something everyone is blessed with. I know that having two sets of parents that have stuck it out through better and worse is not the normal anymore. I sure am thankful. Happy Marriage Month!!
4 comments:
Happy Marriage Month!
I also watched my father wait on my mom hand and foot. He pampered her, doted on her, and spoiled her rotten. (If only he had known what kind of care she would one day expect of us...) I watched my father tear up, his voice cracking, as he lay in his hospital bed absorbing his own diagnosis, realizing he wouldn't be there to see her to her own end... And I am ashamed to admit that this is hard at all.
For me it is the "birth" day month. The month in which my mother labored to bring a tiny baby girl into the world. How can I not be thankful?
Martha, it is hard. Your Dad had such an amazing love for the wife God blessed him with. He would be so very proud of you and James.
Awww! This is just wonderful! Happy anniversaries to all. :)
I agree that March is a wonderful month for a wedding--we'll celebrate 28 years a week from today!
We were blessed with the example of both sets of our parents getting to celebrate their 50th anniversaries (though not in March!)
Happy Anniversary to you and Alan!
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