Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Happy 64th anniversary to my lovely parents


Truly, I have had the best parents. And I was privileged to witness my father in love with my mother, and she with him, till the very end. Were my father alive, he and my mom would have been married 64 years today. They had been married 47 years when he died in 1996. I miss him, and I also miss my mom, who called me from my brother's house in Jamaica three nights ago to tell me happy birthday. "It's not my birthday," I said as lightly as I could manage, though it frightened me to realize that she was losing track of days. "It isn't?" she said, momentarily confused. Then she caught herself. "Oh, I see," she said. "I have your name in two different places in my prayer date book." I told her she could write my name on every page of her book, and send prayers up for me every day. "I already do that," she said, a smile in her voice. I didn't make too much of the mix-up and she didn't appear to either. But I think it might be time for another visit to see her soon.


8 comments:

  1. Don't worry overmuch about that slip. These things happen.
    But golly, gosh- your parents! Their beauty! And there are about five thousand stories in the way they are looking at each other in that picture.
    Thanks for sharing it. Thank you so much.

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  2. What a beautiful photo. And you can't visit your mother too much.

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  3. Oh, Angella. I know how those slips can tear at your heart. It would make you feel so good to go see her soon. Maybe I will go see my Mom again soon, too.

    It is a good day to celebrate the love of your wonderful parents. That picture is a treasure.

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  4. This is a beautiful post and photo. And I can't help but notice that you are your mother's twin in this picture. Sweet Jo

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  5. I love this photo. And the slip - that just means she wants to celebrate you every single day.
    xoxo

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  6. i love your parents! and i love hearing about long lasting marriages. so inspiring!

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  7. Awww, your poor mom. It's hard to keep track of family birthdays even under the best of circumstances. :) Another visit would make both of you happy, I'm sure.

    I love that photo of your parents. Have you posted it before? I feel like I've seen it, but maybe I'm just imagining things. It always impresses me when I hear from people whose parents have been married for so long -- since mine managed just ten years or so!

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  8. I love that photo, it is stunning, and the love is shining off their faces. My parents were married for 52 years, and anniversaries without him are very hard for mom, especially since his death and their anniversary date are a few weeks apart. We're coming up on both dates soon, so I'll need to check in a bit more, as the passage of time has not lessened her grief.

    My mom gets the occasional birthday mixed up, so we have a joke now, to wish each other random incorrect holidays or events when we talk.

    Thanks for sharing that lovely photo. xo

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