50th Anniversay - A Love Letter

This year marks my parents 50th Anniversary. 50 years together. Wow! Not many couples make it to that these days, so to say I am proud of them is a considerable understatment. July 12th, 1958 they were married. So many things in the world have changed since then, so much history. The Vietnam War, JFK's assasination, the first moon landing, the cold war ending, the Wall falling, CD's, DVD's, The space shuttle, and so much more. When I think of what they have seen in their lifetime...I wonder if I will be able to say the same thing.

I love my Mom's story about meeting my Dad. First of all, they grew up in the same small town in north eastern Alberta. A farming community full of slavic immigrants, where your nearest neighbour was about a mile away (ok, the length of your farm), there was only one main street, with a hotel, a few stores, and a gas station. They both spent their childhood in that town, BUT NEVER MET!!!!

So fast forward a number of years. My Mom is 16 and moves to the city to work. Dad's family had already moved to the city, but when Dad was 18 he went to Ottawa to work. After awhile, he moved back home. One day he took a bus, my Mom was already on the bus, and upon seeing him, decided that he was the man she was going to marry. She thought he was pretty darn cute. They didn't speak at all. And I suppose Mom wondered if she would ever see him again.

Awhile later, a local radio station was holding a dance (they did that back in those days), and both my parents attended with a friend. At some point in the evening, Mom noticed Dad there, unfortunately, another young man asked her to dance. I think she danced with him. But she was waiting for Dad to ask her. He finally got up the courage and they danced. Well, she was said she felt like jelly, I guess you could call it a swoon. At the end of the evening, the other young man asked if he could drive her home, she made all kinds of excuses, saying she lived really far away, she was with a friend, etc. trying to discourage this fellow. She wanted Dad to drive her home. So, the other guy walks away. Finally, Dad comes up and asks to take her home, she is so happy, but she does mention her friend. That's ok he says, I'm here with a friend, and he has a car, we'd be happy to dive you ladies home. As she gets in the car, she sees the driver is the first young man she turned down. OUCH!

I love that back then, a fellow could offer you a ride home, and most of the time you wouldn't have to worry. There was a different attitude towards things, an accountability that alot of people today just don't have. I realize that it may sound like I'm really generalizing, but there WERE more manners back then then there are today.

Everytime I think of my parents' story, I think.....Wow, talk about the power of positive thinking! ''Mom, you're amazing''. No, really, I am always warmed by their story and believe they were truly fated to be together..and 50 years on, they still are.