What's Love Got to Do With It?

They may growl at each other, argue and occasionally smack one another if the other gets a little frisky. But deep down underneath it all you see the love they have for each other. I am talking about my parents who are celebrating their 59th wedding anniversary on August 13th. Growing up I didn't think my parents were married for a while because my dad wasn't really around much. My dad was an over the road truck driver and was gone a lot and when he was home things around our house were always busy and noisy. Mom and dad never seemed to have time to spend alone so when did they have time for themselves and love? They weren't big on public displays of affection so how was I supposed to know how they felt? Over the years as Dad stopped driving truck and was home more often, I would watch them interact and wonder to myself, if they were trying to kill each other or if they really did love each other? I had to stop and ask myself more than once as I watched them," Are they kidding or do they really mean it?" I'm talking about my dad coming into a room, grabbing my mom's butt as she is cooking and her turning around with a knife in her hand and taking a swing at him and swearing while he laughs at her. This was their way of saying I love you.
Then when I turned 18 and was just about to graduate, they did the unthinkable, they had a baby! For God's Sake are they still having sex at their age!!! How embarrassing! I just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. What would my friends think? I was just starting to think about sex, I didn't want to think about my parents having it. YUCK! My dad has this saying that he tells all the grand kids and great grand kids now,"If the ceiling fan is on in the living room or kitchen, don't come in. Grandma and I are busy." I shudder to even think about it.
A few years ago, my mom had a stroke and I saw what love is all about. I saw my big strong dad break down and cry and beg my mom to open her eyes and come back to him. Every day since then these two have been back to growling and arguing and smacking each other. Isn't love grand?
As I grew up, married and had my own family, I began to realize that what my mom and dad had was the real thing. They raised five kids ( and believe me if you knew us you'd know that wasn't any picnic),and taught us great morals and values. They gave us wonderful family traditions and memories that will be with us for a lifetime. I will never get 59 years with George but whatever number I do have will be that much greater because of the wonderful role models I have with my Mom and Dad,
Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad. (Hope the fans are going full speed tomorrow night!)