Find the Courage to Say YES
I got a call from Mom. Dad
had just passed six months ago and she was a three hour drive from me but
adjusting well. It is no surprise; she has that vibe, a positive spirit of just
keeping on.
My Mom and Dad were a true love story from the past. They
both went to the same church and bible school in their youth. Dad had his sights
on this darling woman for some time and eventually he got the courage to ask
her out. He didn’t actually ask her out for a date, but moving ahead slowly (not
his style), inquired if he could give her a ride home from church.
She always walked with a close girlfriend, so refused. In
the end, after weeks of negotiation—he was a very good negotiator, she was in
his convertible driving home.
They were a handsome couple, naïve—barely dating others before
their meeting. He enlisted in our military to serve during World War II. The
rest is our sibling’s good news, a marriage producing three children, each
spaced three years apart, never understanding the magic of three.
It was a good marriage shared with family, friends and
numerous celebrations, but Christmas was the ultimate in preparations and joy.
Dad moved to the other place, I believe that is heaven
for him, and Mom was now alone. She managed and actually flourished learning,
at her advanced years, to create a budget, pay bills, and do house repairs
eking out a small life for herself before the time she’d join Dad.
It wasn’t long before a man came a calling to this woman
in her late seventies. It was such a surprise
