25 September 2010

Fifty-eight years

Poignant is the word of the day. On the 58th anniversary of Mom and Dad's marriage Mom and I could not help but talk about the courtship and actual wedding. That Dad is not part of observations and conversations has been hard to grasp.

Our outing of the day was to the All Saints' churchyard. Having the wedding date on the stone both comforted and confronted. Recent mulching followed by watering had resulted in six inches or so of duff around the base of the headstone. The two of us gave the visit another level of purpose with a little housekeeping. Tarbox women to the core ...

During the evening we watched a romantic chick-flick, "Kate and Leopold," and looked at the wedding album and Mom's bride's book. She recalled guests at the wedding, talked about many of the items on the gift list and told me stories I'd never heard before -- like her suitcase having been stolen the day of the rehearsal and, get this, the groomsmen and (Michigan State's) Howland House residents having decorated the wrong get-away car, its unfortunate owners never having been identified. My stars!

A sweet and somber day.

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