I was out in the Midwest getting to know my new granddaughters better when my parents celebrated their 55th anniversary on June 30. Even if I had brought my computer with me on that trip, I never would have had the time to blog. I forgot I even had a blog, to tell you the truth. Because you know what? The care and feeding of twin babies is a time-consuming job! As my husband put it: one baby is a 24-hour a day job; two is like trying to squeeze 48 hours of work into 24. My wonderful daughter-in-law and her amazing mom have been very busy for the past month, and I only regret that I don't live around the corner so that I could give them a hand more often.55 years of marriage is quite a milestone, though, and I don't want to let it go by without a mention. So I'm sorry it's late Mom and Dad, but Happy Anniversary!
I'm really glad that my mom passed my dad's rigorous screening process (she had to fill out a questionnaire and send him a photo, no joke) prior to their first date, a blind date which had been arranged by one of my dad's Naval Academy buddies. I'm surprised that she didn't decide my dad must be some kind of nut job and back out altogether. But she's a good sport and she showed up. My dad, however, still hid himself until he got a good look at her. He said that if she had been a "dog" (his word, not mine), he was going to let himself out the back door and disappear. Apparently, he'd been set up on one unsuccessful blind date too many. Lucky for me that my mom was such a beauty, or I wouldn't be here today! My dad still remembers the beige cashmere twinset she was wearing--that's how big an impression she made on him the first time he laid eyes on her. When does a guy ever remember what a girl was wearing?
Within about three dates, my dad had declared his love for my mom, and they were married less than a year after they first met. For Dad, it was pretty much a case of love at first sight. Mom wasn't sure quite as quickly as he was...but Dad was persuasive. And it didn't hurt that he looked like a young Paul Newman back then. My mother's younger sisters thought he was such a dreamboat! When they married, Dad was 21 and Mom was a child bride of 20. And by the time Mom was 27, she'd already had five children. My parents are "Bigfoot" and "Mimi" to 17 grandchildren; and as of June 2, they became great-grandparents when my son's wife gave birth to twin girls. What a legacy they will leave behind--and to think, it all started with a blind date!
My parents are a great role model for my siblings and me, because after all those years together, they still act like a couple of lovebirds. I can only hope that my husband and I are blessed with as many years together!
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