Happy 55th Anniversary Mom and Dad!

It was 1965, “Wooly Bully” was the Billboard 100 song of the year and man had yet to walk on the moon. Though I wasn’t there that day and the world wouldn’t know my name for six more years, I can only image all the conversations and preparations that went into making April 24th of 1965, a day that would change the course of history.

It was on this day that an incredibly handsome young man slicked his hair back, donned a white tuxedo and made his way from the farm, on Messerschmidt Road, to St. Peters church in East Troy, WI to marry the woman he would call his wife for the next 55 years.

I wonder what went through his mind that day as he waited for her at the alter, he was just twenty-two and fresh from the army. Was he nervous, anxious, and scared or was he as calm, cool, and confident? Though it’s hard to know for sure, the one thing I do know is that every picture I have seen of him on that day tells the story of a man who had fallen head over heels in love, with a woman.

I wonder what went through her mind that day as she stood outside the church, waiting to take his hand. In my mind, I assume that she was confident and self-assured as she had known that this day would be her destiny since the very first time she met him when she was only 13.

When the doors opened, the organ played and a church overflowing with love, all turned to witness her arrival. There she was, beautiful, elegant, and as pure as the white, fallen snow (eeheheheem).  As she approached him, it became obvious to everyone in the church that day, that this love was eternal.

To this day, I’ve never understood why movies end at “I do”. I understand that falling in love makes a great story but after witnessing my parent’s relationship over the past 49 years of my life, a true love story is just beginning at the moment when two become one. Though I can’t claim to know and I never will be able to fully understand it, being married 55 years takes much more than love. So, with that said…Here is my perspective.

It wasn’t always easy but it was always better than bad. When times got tough it seems to me, that they always remembered what they had. They worked so hard to build a life, my Dad built our house with his hands. My mom took care of us while juggling three jobs until one was good enough to have. They weren’t always perfect but I know they did their best, to make my sister and I comfortable, even when we put them to the test.

My Mom spent many nights alone as my Dad worked through the night. I thought we won the lottery when they finally got his schedule right. Our dogs and cats were more than just friends, they were the glue that held them together when there were thoughts about an end.

They never gave up on each other, even when it would have been easy to do, it seems that they always had a little more love to give, to help them see it through. There were trips to the badlands of Sturgis, California, Georgia, the Grand Ole Opry too, and each time they went away, they would return stuck like glue.

With all this said, what I think of most, is how she never leaves his side. Though it has taken so much sacrifice, to her, he is her life. They truly love without condition, a feat not many can say or do.  Thank you both for being such an incredible example, happy fifty-fifth to you.

I love you-

Kevin