09 September 2009

forty years. two hundred and six miles.


cheers to my parents. today marks their 40th wedding anniversary. congratulations! the once young lovebirds have grown into oma and opa owls (she with her reading glasses, he with his pocket watch, both with big books nestled up close to their feathery laps). with seven kids and almost twenty grandkids, they know what love is all about. they taught me by showing me. you learn about love from the moment you are born. and if you're lucky, love is just the beginning of the rest of your life.

thankfully i entered this world with six sweet siblings and parents who loved without end. they dipped us in a swirling vat of love with every shoe found and spaghetti noodle boiled. now that i am a mom i understand more completely the love it takes to survive the little things. not that they are impossible, but that they can become exhausting. wiping slimy cooked vegetables off the floor every day, dressing little wild bodies, keeping laundry clean, keeping little bodies clean, keeping the toys, the house, the life wrapped up and tidy, into manageable chaos. remembering everything for everyone, packing lunches, keeping schedules, folding, cleaning, working, sewing, mending, carpooling, cooking, and keeping everyone happy and healthy and ready for tomorrow, wherein we do it all over again. that is love.

i'll never forget so many evenings of my childhood. being so small, in my striped nightgown and all tucked in, with my door cracked and the hall light on. those moments before i'd fall asleep, i'd listen to the MASH soundtrack playing from the glowing tv and i'd hear my parents' laughter. i would feel warm and safe and glad and peaceful. at the time i didn't realize what a lucky li'l girl i was; to have parents who loved each other and who loved me. all i knew was, i was right where i belonged. that is love.

thank you, mom and dad. your love was the beginning of all this.


FYI. i will be away from my desk for the rest of the week. there is much excitement around here; we have a car to load up and carbs to load up on. dan's big bike race is this saturday! thousands of enthused cyclists will be biking from logan, utah to jackson hole, wyoming. passing through three (count them, three) states. two hundred and six miles. on a bike. in one day. he has been training for this event all year long and is looking more like lance every day. i am whole heartedly proud of his efforts this far. i've never met someone so motivated.

i am super excited to see the whole event unfold. we will be entering a realm of the toughest athletes around, wearing spandex, helmets and shaved legs (dan will likely not be taking part in the latter). i will not only be the supportive wife but also am driving support vehicle. dan tells me my job is of the utmost importance since i will be carrying the goods to fuel his team through their 200+ mile ride! i know, talk about pressure. hopefully i won't get lost. there will be peanut butter sandwiches and bananas and cheese and crackers and powerbars and gatorade and beef jerky and some cookies too. you do not want to be underprepared at a time like this. thankfully my favorite peppy mascot will keep me company, along with the soundtrack from every Broadway play i love, from aida to mamma mia to the mikado to rent. and yes, mom, we'll be super duper safe. will call you from the road. go, dan! following your husband on his bike through three states and blowing kisses through the window. that is love.

17 comments:

Travelin'Oma said...

We're still laughing at the same old MASH jokes. We don't even need to hear the soundtrack or have the TV on now! We know them by heart. Which is how our life together is after 40 years. We know it by heart.

Thanks for a lovely tribute, Mart. It all seems fun (in retrospect.) I'd advise everyone to stay married for at least 35 years. After that, it will be a piece of cake.

Travelin'Oma said...

P.S. Good luck on the big bike ride!

bBchronicles said...

OMGoodness - I just realized I'm old enough to be your 'mom'! ! ! ! My hubby and I are going on our 41st year of marriage and we have 7 kids as well ! ! ! How funny is that! This is a sweet tribute to your ma and pa - I was lucky too, to have parents who were married almost 60 years before my dad 'moved on' to the other side! You have a great heritage - time to give that to your kids! Sweet post.

{amy k.} said...

happy anniversary to your parents!

and good luck to Dan!

ALFIE said...

hope you have a fabulous & safe trip! take lots of pictures!!!

Katie {My Paisley Apron} said...

remembering everything for everyone... Amen! We just traveled to a wedding this weekend, and I'm proud to say I forgot nothing (except my husband's belt but that's kinda his thing to remember I think)! It is exhausting. Congrats to your parents!

Jen Holtkamp said...

good luck to both you and dan!

Cat said...

I'm a Sahm of 2 and I do feel I have to remember everything for eveyone, even for my husband.... I try to see the positive in this: my memory is getting a good workout! (I am also writing a lot of lists!)

Happy anniversary and go Dan!

KJ said...

go lotoja, go team, go idaho, and go you for loving aida...it's one of my favorites!

Tiffany said...

Beautiful tribute! It's so true that having a loving home life is a gift that you don't realize you had until many years later.

Happy Anniversary to your parents and good luck on that bike ride!

brooke said...

Oh this brought back memories. I can hear the soundtrack to Mash and Cheers and St. Elsewhere and it instantly brings back memories of my dad in front of the tv laughing. Those were such good times.

Good luck to Dan on Lotoja. That is pretty amazing...and you are a good wife to drive the support vehicle. Have fun!

melissa deakin said...

you are such a beautiful person.
these words are so beautiful.
yes, you are lucky to have been surrounded by love, but by sharing it with all your blog readers, you are paying it forward in a most gorgeous way.
you have such a way with words.
good luck to dan on the race and to you, the driver.
xoxo

Dansie Family said...

have fun on the road. we'll you see you in jackson and don't make fun of tom too much for shaving the legs. thanks for supporting them.

Jake said...

That was sweet Min...

Also am glad Dan is not shaving. One of Brad's buds shaved his back for their bike trip. I can't look at him now without thinking about it.

talesofahummingbird said...

lucky indeed - parents are the best! and mine watched MASH too. :) enjoy your road trip with little Benji watching Dan ride along....so sweet.

House of Milk said...

so sweet! i hope you don't mind but i'm reblogging your quote wall... i love it!

Oh, My Darling said...

I just started reading your blog, and wanted to say thanks for sharing the lovely story and the beautiful quote! What a great pick-me-up.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...