Tonight's blog title is the number of years that my parents have been married. They celebrated their 35th Wedding Anniversary today. I wasn't there to celebrate with them but I will be seeing them next week so I'm going to take them out for a nice lunch while we're in Stratford as a belated gift.
In a time when marriage really doesn't seem to mean much anymore, hitting 35 years together is rather impressive. But then again, so are my parents. Looking at them, they are so different but fit together so well. Perhaps it's the differences between them that has kept them together for so long? I definitely get my stubborn streak from my mother and I get my peace-making skills from my father. I get my creativity from my mom and my outgoing nature from my dad. I get my bumpy toe from my mom and my broad shoulders from my dad. I get my courage from my mom and my love of rock and roll from my dad and I get my inner strength from both of them.
My childhood was great. We didn't have the biggest house on the block or the newest toys, but I don't remember wanting for anything. We took a family vacation every summer. Sure, I never got to go to Disney World, but I got to explore the country and see amazing sites and visit family. Some of my most cherished memories are of the crazy things that happened while on family vacation. Like the time our dog skipper took a dump in the back of the station wagon a mere 3 minutes after we left the house. Or the time we had run out of water on the way home so we gave the dog Kool Aid to drink. There were multiple incidents involving my father and a raccoon, including the time one stole his blueberry pie and threw a bun at him. One year in New Brunswick I made the chewiest brownies ever...because I forgot to add the eggs. I swear, they came out more like taffy than brownies. I'm pretty sure that's the same trip where my brother and cousin ate an entire tin of molasses cookies one afternoon. I've got to tour several mines, pet a porcupine, stand on the top of a few mountains, travel on several different ferries, drive through the tail end of a hurricane, watch a meteorite shower, seen a Sleeping Giant, dug my own amethyst, got up in the middle of a storm in the middle of the night to rescue a row boat, mistaken a freight train for an alien spaceship and have collected thousands of memories that I wouldn't trade for all the money in the world......all thanks to my mom and dad.
Over the years, I've seen them fight, cry, laugh and love. No matter what I've done or where I've gone, they've always had my back. Through all the bad times, the good times, the hard times and the simpler times, they stuck together and pulled us all through. I am so incredibly blessed to have them as parents.
I want what they have. That's the kind of relationship I want to have with a mate. One that stands the test of time. One that two people are willing to invest the time and effort into making work. No quitting, no giving up when the going gets rough. Perhaps I need to stop looking for someone who's like me....perhaps I do need to be looking for an opposite. Like my parents. Their differences make them unique, but they still have a lot of common ground between them. And compromise. They're pros at it. I love watching them watch hockey. It consists of dad watching hockey while mom reads her book...until there's a fight, at which point mom looks up and then goes back to her book with the fight's done. And I'm not sure how it happened, but mom somehow managed to get dad hooked on the books she was reading.
They are my heroes. They are who inspire me. Their relationship is what I strive for and hold up and the model. Maybe relationships like theirs don't exist anymore. But I'm sure not going to give up on finding out anytime soon. What they have is worth it. It's worth waiting for. I'm so happy that they found each other and I can't begin to express how fortunate I am to have them in my life.
Happy 35th Wedding Anniversary Mom and Dad. I love you more than words can express. May you have many, many, many, many, many more years of happiness together ahead of you.
Good Night!
Sarah
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