Remembering ...

September 1st.

Today would have been my grandparents' 82nd wedding anniversary.  You know, if people lived to be 107 years old and were able to stay married that long!  They were married in 1928, and I often marvel at the changes in the world and society that they witnessed during their married lives.  They were like so many other young couples of that time, with a husband who went off to work each day to support their family while the wife stayed home to care for the house and later the children.  By the time that I came into their lives, their roles were so firmly established that you could almost see the dividing line where one's roles and responsibilities ended, and the other's began.  My grandmother was probably no more able to balance a bank account than my grandfather was able to cook a meal.  But for them, it worked.

Although they've been gone for many years now, I still think of them often.  Especially on days like today that were significant in their lives.  They nearly made it together to their 60th Anniversary, and that says so much to me.  So much about love, and family, and commitment.  About staying together during the hard times, treasuring the happy times, and being by another person's side for the latter 3/4 of your life.  Because of them, I learned that it was okay to bicker and complain about your spouse (which my grandmother did quite well) because it didn't mean that you didn't love them.  It just showed that you loved them despite their flaws, and that you're never going to be able to change that other person into exactly who or what you want them to be.  Even if you spend the better part of 60 years trying : )

Happy Anniversary, Grandma and Grandpa.

Thank you for the lessons that you taught me about love and marriage, long before I were to experience my own.  I carry them with me today, and miss and love you both!