My Dad turned 60 recently. A few months before that my Mom did the same. They also celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary in June of this year. Which means that they got married when they were 20 years old. Just like me.
In preparation for making their anniversary video I looked through hundreds of photos of them throughout the years. It was amazing. I began to see my parents in a different way. I saw photos of them goofing with other young newly married couples, taking cute new-baby pictures, growing as a family, and posing in many wonderful vacation spots.
And it looked familiar.
Not just because I was in some of the photos (and certainly I had a whoosh of memories because of them), but because it looked like my life. Even though I sometimes believe that they have no idea what I'm talking about, I was quickly reminded that....They lived it and they survived. True, many things have changed over time in the way of child-raising and marriage roles, but in it's essence, they lived the life I live now.
In a way, it encouraged me to seek out opportunities for them to revel in this next stage of their lives...grandparenting. Even though they have been grandparents for over 7 years now, I want this to be one of the more enjoyable times of their lives. I love seeing them with their grandkids. My dad is right there on the floor with them, rolling around, laughing, teasing, and makin' noise. My mom is sweet and affectionate to them, always ready to sit and read them a book that she's read a hundred times before.
It's great to see them leap into this stage. To see them embrace the joys and sorrows of seeing their own kids raise kids. To see them envision a bright future for our family, one that includes a whole lot more birthdays, anniveraries and celebrations.
Happy Birthday, Mom and Dad. Here's to many more years together!
Ps. Here's a picture of the cake I made. Yes, I am loving my new cake pan and finding any excuse to use it!
2 comments:
What a beautiful post, Kris! Yes, we certainly love those grandparents. Glad you had a good birthday with your dad.
It's wonderful that you had parents who were such a good example for you growing up. (Oh and really cute cake! Well done!)
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