As the story told by my father goes:
Day 1 of drivers training @ South high... He looked up to behold the most beautiful woman with a blond bob, flipped up, wearing a pink and white polka dot dress and the most angelic glow. He was done for... and never felt the need to look further. And so they dated for most of their high school years, she supporting him at every baseball game and family camp out and then for two years while dad served a mission down under (Melbourne, Australia). Upon returning, dad kissed the ground of the good old U.S. of A. and again looked up to see the most beautiful woman whom he'd ever laid his eyes upon... and only a few months later he snatched her up for his eternal companion.
As the story told by mum:
Day 1 of drivers training @ South high... Mum was sitting amongst her friends on the bleachers next to her cute Blondie friend wearing pink and white polka dots, hair flipped.... Mum however had brown hair worn in a pixi and claims that she never owned pink and white polka dots because they didn't go with her one pair of shoes. However, the angelic glow was definitely hers.... And then after mum fell head over hills for the baseball star of her dreams, he dated all of her friends. But being determined, she stayed true to "Big Bird" and they did enjoy many fun dates! As dad was about to leave on his mission, he dropped off a suit case of clothes to cover the next 2 1/2 years of birthdays and Christmases. Then he took a part of mom's broken heart with him down unda. Mum wrote dad religiously, dated his brother who let her sit in the back of the jeep so that his dog wouldn't jump out while traveling, worked to establish a nest egg for their life together and sent racy pictures of her in the furry kangaroo skin bikini that dad had shipped her. And I love that part because I've seen the pics.... and they ROCK! As the day for his return grew closer mom decided to sew herself a new outfit to greet him in at the air port. Little did she know, dad was going to surprise her by coming in a few days early! (thus began her love of surprises and the end of her procrastinating days!) When the phone call came that dad was in the U.S. and would arrive in S.L.C. in only hours, mom quickly safety pinned her buttons to her dress and shaved her legs a little too rough tearing an entire line of skin off of her shin bone. Nothing that toilet tissue stuck on by spit wouldn't patch up though ... and it didn't look too bad under her nude pantie hose. And yes.... only a few months later she changed her name from Woolf to Bird on that chilly spring morn.
There is a common denominator in their story and it has never wavered... In fact, if anything it has become more determined... they love each other like no two people I've ever known. If you look into dad's eyes when he talks about his "little Jewish princess" you can often see his heart swell up and then pour over and down his cheeks. And mum claims to this day that life would be completely unbearable without her baseball star.
They are funny! They are two peas in a pod... a match made in heaven.... with an eternity to celebrate.... which started 41 years ago ~ but who's counting?
Dear dad and mum,
Congrats on the establishment of heaven on earth...
You've created for yourselves the fairy tale that people dream of.
You survived 6 children, 14 grands and all the in-laws! Impressive! And you've done it joyfully!
You deserve each other. You deserve eternity!
Happy Anniversary~
I love you.
Sometimes during prayer time I laugh. I know, I know.... it isn't reverent. But I'm going to justify it by saying this: If I were in a group conversation and somebody said something funny, I would laugh.... Today I write to remember. The wise old owl, Mrs. Smith, (she's not really old) told me to "write down what funny things your kids say so you don't forget them". In an effort to take the advice from somebody wiser than myself, here she goes.
