Today, 61-years ago...
Today, 61-years ago, my parents were married. It was October 10, 1954. They met in Washington, when my father was stationed here in the Coast Guard. He worked side gigs as a musician with my mother's brothers. He was 22 and Mom was 20.
Today, 61-years ago, my parents were married. Exactly 10 months later, I was born. From 1955 to 1969, my mother birthed five children--four girls and one boy. I was the only one born in the state. We moved to California early in 1957.
Today, 61-years ago, my parents were married. Seventeen years later, the five of us children stayed in California, while my father took my mother to Washington State and arranged for a big, celebratory dinner with family and friends. I had just entered my senior year in high school at the age of 16. My brother was 12; the next two were 9 and 5. My youngest sister was 21-months-old.
Today, 61-years ago, my parents were married. Four weeks after the 17th anniversary "celebration," my father left our family and moved in with a 25-year-old woman. He was two months shy of 40. Life changed drastically for my mother, my siblings and me.
Today, 61-years ago, my parents were married. My parents divorced. He married the woman he left us for. The story is that she left my father for an 80-year-old man, and my father and she divorced. He married at least one more time, though I do not know, as he and I stayed nearly completely estranged for most of the four decades. He was still married to his last wife, also younger by 25 years or so, when he passed away this past January at the age of 83.
Today, 61-years ago, my parents were married. My mother never remarried. Nor did she date (of which I am aware) after their divorce. She passed away in June 2011 at the age of 77. She had a box with notes written from/to one another just before they married, along with receipts for their rings, and her wedding rings.
Today, 61-years ago, my parents were married.
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Copyright © 2015 Coral Levang
Coins: 10578, $15.87, 79%
Image Credit » https://pixabay.com/en/figure-wedding-kiss-groom-marriage-388290/ by ed_davad
Comments
MegL wrote on October 10, 2015, 7:02 PM
Sad memories and happy memories. As we get older, at least I have found, we get a longer perspective and things that were urgent when we were young are no longer important.
CoralLevang wrote on October 10, 2015, 7:06 PM
MegL They are simply memories anymore. It is what it is. No changing it, though it changed me...us...history.
The stories it tells are all up to the reader, I have learned.
CoralLevang wrote on October 10, 2015, 7:40 PM
Huh?
I have no idea what you are talking about.
wolfgirl569 wrote on October 10, 2015, 8:19 PM
So happy and then so sad. Cling to the happy ones and try to forget the sad ones.I dont know why but I can never remember my parents anniversary except that it is in May
CoralLevang wrote on October 10, 2015, 8:50 PM
I only remembered it b/c it was 10-months to the day before I was born.
paigea wrote on October 10, 2015, 8:59 PM
That is a happy, sad sort of story. Like most of our lives I suppose.
CoralLevang wrote on October 10, 2015, 9:06 PM
It's life. As long as we are upright, then it's a good thing, right? The rest of it is all part of our story.
paigea wrote on October 10, 2015, 9:08 PM
True. And now for something completely different. I couldn't seem to find your meatloaf in a pumpkin recipe but I remembered the idea and made meatloaf in acorn squash for supper. It's pretty yummy. We don't have small pumpkins around here.
CoralLevang wrote on October 10, 2015, 9:15 PM
paigea
Meatloaf in a pumpkin? I did the peppers.... http :// personapaper . com / article / 39663 - halloween - ideas - a - pumpkin - by - any - other - name - is - a - pepper
and then there was the casserole.... http :// personapaper . com / article / 39425 - pumpkin - recipe - jack - o - lantern - casserole
and the cheeseburger jackolantern meat and cheese pie .. http :// personapaper . com / article / 39429 - halloween - recipe - jack - o - lantern - meat -- cheese - pie
Meatloaf in acorn squash sounds GREAT!!!!! It sounds like you made your own recipe! Hope you took pictures to share!
I make the casserole in a medium sized pumpkin.
Paulie wrote on October 11, 2015, 2:15 AM
It's very sad and unfortunate what your father did your family. My parents married in November of 1943 and lived together married until dad's passing away in May of 2004. Mom passed away in May of 2011.
CoralLevang wrote on October 11, 2015, 3:05 AM
I am grateful that we had what we did. There are some who don't have either parent. Things are what they are/were. I know people who, like you, had parents who were together all those years and theirs were equally as dysfunctional. It's just the luck of the draw, I suppose.
Paulie wrote on October 11, 2015, 3:26 AM
My parents weren't perfect and they did have their quarrels. They always did, however, put the interests of my siblings and me always above their own interests.
crowntower wrote on October 11, 2015, 10:37 AM
I thought it is a happy ending. I think that is the sweetest, but villains always gets in the way of the happy endings. That is so sweet of your mom, staying true to her vows, and know how to love herself by not jumping with another relationship. When my dad got an affair, my mom told me she will not do the same so we will not have the same pain twice and we will not have another shame on our faces (because you know how terrible people is, when they saw a broken family), and that's how I admire her. And at the age of ten I saw how stupid my dad is to have a another woman who is so ugly and as evil at that woman. She really ave the eyes of an evil -- I saw it, and she really like the devil and wolf who find her way to her bait.. she was so nice to me before -- then I found out that she's is a big snake! Sorry about the chosen words that I have wrote in here. Until now she is still have that evil eyes, no matter how she wants to act as a good one. Hell!
CoralLevang wrote on October 11, 2015, 11:04 AM
crowntower Thank you for your comment and the different perspective. My mother was very unhappy to her end. She was, indeed, loyal to the end, but she truly had a heavy, and often embittered, heart. I hope she is in peace now. Hers was a tougher life that most. Again, thank you.
laksh wrote on October 11, 2015, 2:50 PM
I started reading it with a smile on my face, frankly, but ended up with tears in my eyes
I'm really sorry for how you all might have felt.. It's strange how life unfolds; it's mostly ugly turns for the nicest of people.. Wish life was much simpler and nicer..
CoralLevang wrote on October 11, 2015, 3:13 PM
laksh we are all given in our lives what we are given. It is how we live beyond what happens to us every day that is testament to who were are each as persons. No one deserves anything more than any other. And yes, I agree that life would be so easier if it were kinder.
1markgraham wrote on October 11, 2015, 7:18 PM
I was not even thought of for another 10 years. This is a beautiful piece. Thanks for writing it.
BarbRad wrote on October 12, 2015, 3:53 AM
What a sad story. So many people have broken relationships that affect not just themselves, but others, and the hurt just dominoes.
CoralLevang wrote on October 12, 2015, 4:33 AM
Thank you, Mark
CoralLevang wrote on October 12, 2015, 4:34 AM
BarbRad There are many memories included here. Some are very heartening. Others disheartening. You are correct in your comment about domino-effect.