You spend a lifetime with your partner, building, a life together. You work to pay the bills, build a home, start a family, have a small circle of friends, that hopefully you can enjoy on the weekends, and, try to save a little money for your "Golden Years."
A person making it to their " Golden Years" is a personal triumph, and a couple making it to their "Golden Years " together, is inspiring.
I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to get to know my wife's grandparents, unfortunate that the time was short though. I think they were both in their mid eighties when they passed, I had just five or so years with them. You might wonder why I am speaking of my wife's grandparents and not mine, the answer is simple, both my grandfathers passed before I was ever born, and I barely new my grandmothers. Anyhow, I knew little about her grandfather's family, but her grandmother's was big, six siblings I believe. A big Italian family, and at the head, Day's grandparents.
I would imagine their lives together, he, in WWII, her, home working, supporting a home, a family, dreaming of the day her husband would return home, to her, and fearful, he may never return home. But he did, and they picked up their lives where they left off, through richer and poorer, sickness and in health, side by side, they raised two kids, and helped raise three grandkids, built a home, sat a the head of the table, of a large, large family, and managed to save enough, to enjoy their "Golden Years."
We would visit, and I would watch, in awe, of this couple, the 40 or 50 years together, building a life together, a family together, and a retirement together. I imagined the ups and downs, the fights and the making up, and in the end, they did it all, together, side by side. As I write this, I am getting choked up wondering, how do you sit by your partners side, and say "goodbye" as they leave you behind, for the last time? She, true to who she was, did it though, with strength, courage, dignity and grace.
From them, I learned what kind of husband I wanted to be for Day. I knew what kind of relationship I wanted Day and I to have. And I knew, we too, could enjoy our "Golden Years" together, just as they did. Day and I have made a wonderful life together, and have plans of an early retirement, and I look forward to those years with my wife, inspired by her grandparents, hopefully on a boat. And yes, I will blog about it.
Her grandparents led a rich, full and busy life, and still found the time, to inspire me. I am honored to have known them, and am grateful to be a part of their family, and wish, I had the chance to tell them.
With all of my respect, admiration
and love
Russell (Curly)
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