Only at Death, Did They Part

When I want to see a picture of true love, I don't need to look at a Hollywood movie. No, I simply reflect back on the love shared by my parents for 62 years. Valentine's Day was an everyday occurrence for them.

Mom and Dad were both twenty-one when they took that walk down matrimony lane. When I look at their wedding pictures, love beams in all its glorious beauty. They were an attractive couple. Love was in the air.

Within a year of their marriage Dad, like so many other young men, went off to serve his country during WWII. He had something to look forward to upon his return because Mom was pregnant with their first child.

After getting through that separation they were reunited and the family rapidly increased in number. Being from a large family, we would always tease our parents as to why they had so many children. Part of it may have been the fact that Dad was an only child. Mom would always tell us that times were so much different in their day. Although they had their share of problems, there weren't as many distractions. Back then families were strong and parenting was taken very seriously. Neighbors could even verbally reprimand you on the spot if you misrepresented your family's good name in the community.

Mom never learned how to drive. If Dad couldn't take her somewhere, her friends or children would transport her where she needed to be. Even though she didn't drive, she always sat in the front when Dad did. What a closeness they shared.

As often is the case in large families, getting everyone together for special events can be a monumental task. It is further complicated if you live out of town. But when they celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary, their children were there. We surprised them and hosted a dinner in their honor.

Through their many years of marriage they knew how to lovingly serve each other. They knew how to sacrifice for their children and others. Teamwork was something that was a part of their relationship. They knew what the other person was thinking and could finish each other's sentences. That's because they were so much in tune with each other.

When Dad suffered an aneurysm, Mom stood by his side. I'll never forget the gut-wrenching cry she uttered when told of his prognosis for survival without surgery. She couldn't imagine life without him. And so with family and friends they weathered that storm.

When Mom's health was rapidly declining, Dad was her steady rock of support. Before she was rushed to the hospital to spend her final months she kissed him and told him she wouldn't be back. I think Dad already knew it because that's how imitate the love they shared for many years had been.

Mom told him she loved him and that he was a good husband, father and grandfather. She told us as her children that she loved us with further instructions to take care of Dad.

She was ready to leave this place knowing that her job was done. Her house was in order. The next thing on her itinerary was to see her Heavenly Father. It was something that she had looked forward to for so many years. And so death came quietly on that cool early November morning.

It was only death that severed the love they had shared for so long. Their love was enduring and true. I'm glad I was able to be a witness to it.

SOURCE:

Personal experience