A Love Story

 Grow old along with me

1971, an Officer's Club in South Carolina. A young officer is having a drink with a Colonel and they argue over who's going to pay. There's a dance coming up, and the Colonel asks the officer if he has a date, which he doesn't. So the Colonel says that his daughter will go. The young lady reluctantly agrees. 

The officer, wanting to make things slightly less awkward, brings a friend along to the dance. He's very taken with the young lady and wants to take her on a date. He makes multiple attempts to take her out and she makes multiple excuses not to go. Finally, he decides he's going to make one last effort. This time, she agrees. They dated for a weekend. Dropping her off one night, the officer says "Hey, we should get married sometime." The young lady replies, "Okay. I have to go inside now." Three months later, on July 10, 1971, they did just that. 

Those two are my parents, and today is their 50th anniversary. They've lived and travelled all over the world, raised 6 pretty cool kids, and have been an example of generous, kind, loving people to everyone they meet. They're both retired and they do everything together, and they're more lovey-dovey now than I remember them being when I was little. 

I'm so lucky to have them as parents. My mom always says that parents are supposed to give their kids roots to keep them grounded and wings to fly, and they did just that. They gave me the confidence and strength to just be who I am. They showed me what a healthy, loving, respectful relationship looks like. I count them as two of my best friends. Happy anniversary to my favorites.