Happy Anniversary

This past weekend I attended a funeral for my mother's Uncle, Gary. I had every intention of blogging about how November has seemed to be the month of sorrows in my life. But as I sat down to make this entry, I put off my selfishness and decided to blog about the 16th of November as a wonderful day.

I was not able to have as much time with my father as others have had with their dads, but in the time I did get, I was able to learn a lot about him and who he was. When my dad was in Elementary School, he and his family moved to Southern California. He was in a class with my mom. My mom told her friends that one day she was going to marry that boy.

Later after my dad had went off into the Army, another boy thought that he would try his hand in dating my mother. The way I heard the story was that when my dad returned home, he chased that boy out of my mom's life with the help of a rifle shooting in the direction of his feet.


My parents were married on November 16th 1968. I cannot recall a time in my life having heard my dad criticize or belittle my mother. Never do I recall him raising his voice in anger toward her. I do remember him always trying to make her happy, feel special and make her burdens light. He would do everything to allow her to be a mother, and work harder than others to allow her to stay home with us kids.

On the 30th anniversary of their wedding, my dad slipped from this life to the next. In the period just after his death I used to have, what I call, nightmares about my mom beginning to date other men and trying to get remarried. Maybe they stemmed for people around me asking if she was dating, or even trying to convince me that it would be best for her to seek companionship. I recall confronting my mother about it once. She reassured me that she had her husband.

You know when someone says,"I love" this or that and then comes the reply "Why don't you marry it?" My mom would always reply, "I am already married." It is true. My mom is sealed for time and all eternity to my dad. She married that boy, and I am forever thankful that my dad treated my mom in such a way that she has been so patient and faithful in waiting to be reunited with her sweetheart.

We, as husbands and fathers, are counseled to live our life in such a way that our families will want to live with us forever. Despite that trials that might have been easier to bare, or the times of complete loneliness that I know my mom feels, my dad lived his life in such a way that she will suffer and be burdened so that she can be with him forever. Mom, dad will always be yours, as will all of your children because you have been faithful.

So despite all the pain of the 16th of November, especially being a Monday morning, I rejoice that I know and have no doubt of any sort that my parents are eternally sealed to each other, and their family will continue from eternity to eternity. God bless November.