Happy Anniversary

“That is why a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, and the two of them become one body” NAB, Revised

Sixty-five years ago today an eighteen year old girl from Indiana married her twenty year old boyfriend at a small church in suburban Philadelphia.  Their love story started two years before when they met when he was a freshman at Notre Dame. 

 

It is really a funny story how they met.  The young man from Penn Valley, Pa had become friends with a local young man who played in a band.  The local boy invited the Notre Dame student to his house to listen to the band.  Somehow the young man spilled a soda and the local boy called one of his younger sisters to clean it up.  

Dad always talked about it being love at first sight.  Mom had beautiful auburn hair and a gorgeous figure.  One of Dad’s favorite stories was how when Mom worked the cafeteria line at Notre Dame she would pull out the best pieces of meat for Dad when he came through her line that included the biggest pork chop which was nothing but fat and gristle.  Of course Mom would counter with how Dad would take her out for Chinese food which she loved, professing to enjoy that type of food himself.  After they got married she didn’t get out for Chinese food until her daughters were old enough to take her out for it.

Together they had six daughters, all of whom have been successful in their chosen lives.  For fifty-five years they lived together, ran two businesses together.  They fought often, demonstrated their love for each other frequently.  The house was noisy, filled with laughing, singing, fighting all those things that make a family.  

We girls managed to surprise them on their Golden wedding anniversary.  We arranged for a special Mass where they renewed their marriage vows.  When the priest got to the part about accepting children he looked at the daughters and the grandchildren and simply said, “I guess you already have.”  They were a wonderful example of what marriage should be/could be if worked at.  

Dad died four months after their fifty-fifth anniversary and yet he has still been with us.  Mom passed away several years ago.  But today is the Feast of St. Anne and Joachim.  Both Mom and Dad carried a special devotion to Jesus’ grandparents and held fast to the belief that their devotion helped keep the marriage strong.  

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad.  And to my sisters who read this blog, we all miss them very much.

Eileen