My parents vows to each other in September 1956
promised a commitment to each other for life.
I can virtually see my mom as a beautiful, shy young bride
and my dad's boyish grin, knowing he'd found a rare treasure.
They were married 40 years when he suffered a massive stroke.
It changed their way of life
as she cared for him for the next ten years.
Ten years have passed once more.
She has married and loved again,
a companion who now cares for her . . .
reminding her when it's time to eat,
time to take her medicine,
what to wear, where to go . . .
Last week, as I sorted through her clothes
I found something beautiful in the bottom of a drawer.
A treasure I did not know she had kept.
It looked like her wedding tiara
along with a matching broach and boutonniere.
How could this be?!
I looked up at the photo she still has in the room
and there it was . . . a moment hard to describe.
When I asked her about it, she did not recognize it,
hardly grasping how I longed for her to share the details.
Did someone make it for her?
Did she buy it? Who made her dress?
It was all gone.
Yet these simple pearls, strung into beautiful pieces
adorned with bridal fern on their wedding day,
allowed a glimpse into her world,
to a time when love was young and beautiful things were kept.
Several big moves with bare necessities,
and this treasure came along.
A symbol of love and hopes and dreams
that now rest in a life well lived
and in the heart of a grateful daughter.
and this treasure came along.
A symbol of love and hopes and dreams
that now rest in a life well lived
and in the heart of a grateful daughter.
8 comments:
Oh Anneliese, how incredibly precious!! No wonder it moved you to tears.....what a precious treasure! And so wonderful that you found it.
A wonderful post and tribute to your dear parents, mom especially. I'm tearing up here.
This is so precious!
Such a beautiful, tangible memory! I don't think her not remembering about it is entirely due to her current condition. Remember when I found that photo of a building and she had no clue what it was, but Opa had to remind her it was the MCC building where they worked and met!
You found a treasure indeed. What a precious thing to have and to share with her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and the generations to come.
What a sweet treasure to find. It speaks of the love shared over many years with your father. I love the words over the two of them at the altar - Worship God. A good motto for any marriage.
I think it's extraordinaryly beautiful. So was your mom's smile on her special day so long ago.
Sharon
What a loving and touching post on your mom's treasured things. That she kept these through all those moves affirms to you how she valued her marriage to your dad. What a lovely gift for you at a time when you especially need encouragement. A Gift from God, who cares and whose timing is just right.
Post a Comment