Goodbye Memories From Long Ago…

a photo taken of us just before one of our many goodbyes…

 

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.  Speaking of Valentine’s Day,  I watched the Hallmark movie “The Lost Valentine” on Sunday night.  If you didn’t see it, you missed a good movie!  I’m a sucker for a good love story!  The movie told the story of a young couple, madly in love, but soon separated when the husband has to leave to fight in World War II.  Their good-bye scene at Union Station was gut-wrenching, and brought back  my own “goodbye memories” from over forty years ago…

When I first met my husband-to-be, he’d just enlisted in the army.  The Viet Nam war was still in progress, and the draft was in effect.   Ed and a friend of his, decided to enlist in the army together.  At the time, neither guys were seriously involved with any girls, but that situation  soon changed for both of them!

Ed and I were young when we met, but love knows no age limits.  We fell in love quickly, and we fell hard.  We were only able to spend four months together before he had to leave for army basic training, but by then we both knew we’d be spending the rest of our lives together. We spent the next two and one half years saying goodbye–over and over.

Saying goodbye was never easy, no matter how many times we did it–and we had lots of practice!  First, Ed left for three weeks of basic training, then returned home for a Christmas break.  Two weeks later, we said goodbye again.  A few weeks later, Ed was home again for a short break after finishing basic training, then gone again for 4 months.  Our final goodbye came just a year after we met.  It was near the end of the summer of 1970, and we’d recently become engaged.

Ed was deployed to the tiny island of Okinawa (Japan).  His deployment was originally eighteen months long, with no opportunity to come home.  Ed ended up spending over twenty months  over there, before he was finally able to come home!  I thought my heart would literally break the day I watched Ed board that plane bound for Okinawa.  I was not quite sixteen years old when he left, still a mere child, but I was as in love and determined as any woman.  I was almost eighteen by the time Ed returned. 

We spent two birthdays apart, as well as two Valentine’s Days, Easters, Thanksgivings, and Christmases.  I kept a calendar on the wall of my bedroom, and at the end of each day, I’d put an “X” over the date.  I busied myself with finishing high school, working part-time, and counting down the days… for  nearly two years.

In those days there wasn’t any internet and we couldn’t afford overseas phone calls.  We wrote letters every day, sent photographs,  and made cassette tapes of ourselves talking to each other.  It was always a treat to get a tape and hear Ed’s voice once again!  Many nights I’d listen to his tapes before going to sleep, and I saved every letter!

The days eventually passed, and I can’t begin to tell you what a great feeling it was to finally go with Ed’s parents to that airport to pick Ed up!  It was almost like preparing for our first date again!   Love is timeless, and it didn’t take us long to pick right back up where we’d left off–nearly two years before. 

However, when Ed found a job in another city, a few days after returning home, we were faced with yet another dilemma.  Either get married and move to the city together, or face saying yet another goodbye.  I told Ed I just couldn’t face another goodbye…  As a result, we planned the quickest wedding you can imagine, and were married just two weeks later! 

Looking back, I don’t know how we managed to get everything done in such a short time, but love is also determined!  The part of our wedding vows “till death us do part” had a very special meaning to us–we’d both said more than our share of  “goodbyes”.  Ed and I will celebrate our 39th wedding anniversary this June.

A Budding Romance…At Last

Our youngest son, Brad, is twenty-four years old.  I’ve been hoping and praying for a while that he would meet a nice girl, and make a “love connection”.   My prayers have finally been answered.  My answered prayer has a name..and it’s Jennifer.

When Brad was a teenager, he was the “good guy”.  He was courteous, thoughtful, smart, and he always knew how to treat a girl.  He took his dates places, and didn’t mind spending money on them.  He was always very accommodating.  I’d think to myself–wow, he’ll make some girl a great husband someday.  It seems that most girls these days don’t want a guy that will treat them nice–they prefer the “bad boys.”

Brad went through a series of girlfriends, and none of them worked out.  I think part of the reason was because Brad has always been mature for his age, and had nothing in common with most of the girls that he dated.  Brad got hurt really bad in a relationship once, and  I was beginning to think that he would be a confirmed bachelor forever.  I worried as his attitude toward women seemed to grow more bitter over time.

Weeks turned into months, and months went by…nothing happened.  Brad hung around with his buddies, and worked at his job.    Then, lo and behold, just when he least expected it….Cupid strikes!  It wasn’t our regular cupid, Michelle, this time(although she did try)…This time Cupid came in the form of Face Book.

It seems that Brad always enjoyed being around Jennifer when their group of friends got together– I think he even dated her once in high school, but then she became involved with one of his buddies.  I don’t know the specifics, but from what I can gather, while Brad was suffering his ill-fated romances, Jennifer was going through her own trials and tribulations.

As fate would have it, Face Book brought them together again!  Brad said he “just decided to send her a message and say hello”…That was in October of 2009, and they have been practically inseparable ever since.  I’ve never seen two people compliment each other like those two!  They go together like peanut butter and jelly, like salt and pepper, like …well, you get the idea!

Jennifer and Brad at Christmas

I don’t know how this romance will play out, but I know how I hope goes!  Jennifer is one in a million!  She’s sweet, smart,  caring, funny, and never meets a stranger.  (Brad has all those same attributes)  We first met her at our Halloween costume party, and she fit right in with our crazy family.  Imagine meeting your new boyfriend’s parents…and they greet you dressed as mustard and ketchup! LOL

Jennifer recently graduated from nursing school, and became a registered nurse.  She’s been in the process of finishing school, graduating, and launching her new nursing career–all while she and Brad have been dating and getting to know one another.  I don’t know how she does it!  (Brad has finished college, but works 4 ten hour days, so he’s busy, too.)   

I am so thrilled that Jennifer and Brad have made a “love connection” and I sure hope it’s a romance that keeps on blooming!  We’d be honored if we get the opportunity to welcome her into our family one day.  Happy first Valentine’s Day you guys!!!

The Road of Love Can Be Rocky Sometimes…

Our oldest son, Brett, was the midde child, and our most difficult child to raise.  I always hoped and prayed that he would meet a nice girl, settle down, and become the man that we knew he could be.  God answered my prayers in the fall of 2003, when Brett was 20 years old.  

If you read yesterday’s post, you may remember that our daughter, Brandy,  met her future husband on a blind date set up by a friend and co-worker.  That same co-worker played cupid for our family again!  Our cupid’s name is Michelle, and at the time,  she worked with our daughter, our son, and Brett’s future wife Christina.   

Michelle is very social, and decided that Brett and Christina would make a nice couple.  Michelle worked a little magic, and soon Brett and Christina were emailing each other at work.  One thing led to another, and by November they started dating.  

I loved Christina the first time I met her.  She was shy, sweet, and pretty.  She was easy-going, and patient…just the   kind of woman I had hoped Brett would meet.  She came from a family of nine children–six boys and three girls–which is probably how she learned to be easy-going and patient.     

 After a while, Brett and Christina became engaged…later broke the engagement…then became engaged again!  I don’t know all the details, but I do know that Brett was still growing up and changing during those times which probably had something to do with it.  Eventually, things worked out, and Brett and Christina were married on May 6, 2006 in a beautiful ceremony.  The couple rented a tiny apartment in town, and began their lives together.  The apartment was cute, and Christina fixed it up so pretty.  I laugh as I remember…when we came over to eat, we had to bring our own chair! 

Next came the hardest part– settling down into the marriage–two people coming together and living as one–being in sync.   Marriage is not always easy, especially the first year, but some couples have a little more trouble than most.  Brett and Christina turned to out be one of those couples.   

They’ve had their share of ups and downs–a bit of a rocky road, and at one point they were separated for six months.  What should’ve been the happiest time of their marriage–the impending birth of a child–turned out to be their most stressful time.  The couple came back together, commited to give their marriage another chance….and so began the second chapter of Brett and Christina’s love story.  A month later, God blessed the couple with a beautiful, healthy baby boy named Caden.  

..And baby makes three

When things go wrong, people automatically think “divorce”.  After all, it’s a quick and easy solution…much easier than staying together and working out the problems.  I admire Brett and Christina so much for having the courage and determination to come back together.  

It’s been almost a year and a half  since Brett and Christina began the second chapter of their marriage–and nearly four years since they got married.  God bless you guys…I love happy endings!

The Third Time Is The Charm… A Valentine’s Day Love Story

For years, it seemed that our daughter, Brandy, was going to always be “unlucky in love”.  She’d spent nearly five years of her life dating “G”, her highschool sweetheart,  got engaged to him–only to have him practically leave her standing at the altar without an explanation. 

Next came “R” who was a good-looking, smooth talking guy, who came in and swept her off her feet.  ”R” was originally from South Africa, but  moved over here with his missionary family several years ago.   He  had the cutest little “British” accent, but after about a year into their serious relationship–Brandy soon found that most everything that came out of that “smooth-talking” mouth was a lie.    

Scorned twice by love, Brandy was almost afraid to try again.  Finally,  she agreed to a blind date arranged by a friend and fellow co-worker.  Like her mother before her, Brandy was cynical, and didn’t think too much would come of the blind date, but just like her mother–she was wrong! 

Brandy and Clint had a love connection from the beginning.  Brandy was surprised that things could move along so quickly, but I explained to her that sometimes you just know–immediately.  It was apparent, almost from the beginning, that Brandy and Clint were meant to be together. 

Clint has the sweetest “southern country drawl”, and the personality to go with it. I’ve never seen someone “court” a woman like he “courted” Brandy.  He was a man in love–and he wasn’t afraid to show it.  He’d leave romantic phone messages, he sent flowers, and every weekend he showed up bearing lots of gifts–lots of gifts!  It was a true southern courtship! 

Brandy and Clint had their first date on October 7, 2000.  Just four months later, on Valentine’s Day, Clint showed up with his arms full of gifts.  I am not exaggerating–it was a bag full!  The bag was filled with an assortment of stuffed Valentine’s animals, and other things.  Among the things  was a “Merry Moo” figurine of  one cow proposing to another cow, and it said “Will you marry me?” (Clint loves all things John Deere) A little further down in the bag was THE BOX–containing a large diamond engagement ring!  Clint asked the question, Brandy said yes, and the rest is history! 

Valentine's Night 2000--the contents of the bag are on the couch & on Brandy's finger!

The two of them wasted no time in planning their wedding.  They were married on July 7, 2001–exactly 9 months from the day of their first date.  The friend and co-worker who played “cupid” was their matron-of-honor!  It was a beautiful wedding, and we’ve never felt like we lost our daughter–instead we gained another son–and a granddaughter, five years later!!! 

...And they lived happily ever after

So I guess it’s true what they say, “sometimes a person may have to kiss a few toads to get to the prince.”  Brandy went through a few toads, but finally found her prince!  For her, the third time was definitely the charm.  I just love a happy ending….

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