“If you are not happy here and now, you never will be.” Taisen Deshimaru
“From the very core of our being we desire contentment. For harmony, each individual’s identity must be fully respected.” Dalai Lama
Memories allow us to go back in time. This story goes back sixty-five years. He was twenty-five at the time and she was seventeen. He was in the Army and she was working at the soda counter of the local drug store. Neither one was born to privilege or money and both started working early in life to help support themselves.
He graduated high school at fifteen having skipped grades. College was deferred until after his stint in the Army. He left home early to get away from a stepmother he couldn’t stand. He had lost his own mother to a brain aneurysm when he was only six. He loved his father and inherited his love of autos and the ability to fix them from him.
He had many stories to tell of his time on his own after high school graduation. His dreams of being a baseball star were shattered when he blew his shoulder out. He was working on the farm of John Dillenger’s father on the day that Dillenger was killed. The father never said a word about the death of his son. He worked in the CCC camps that Roosevelt had set up to try and employ people during the last great depression. He had a harrowing story to tell of driving a tuck with nitroglycerine in it. He told the story of becoming a boxing champion in spite of his small size. The Army was his choice to fight for his country during World War II.
She was the youngest surviving child of ten. Her grandfather lost the farm through drinking and gambling and his son worked at odd jobs to support his family. She adored her Dad who was Irish and nicknamed “Happy” because he always kept a sunny disposition. When he died later in life the church was packed with friends who loved him. She learned honesty from him and tells the story of his walking in the snow to buy bread for his family. The fifteen cents had fallen from a hole in his pocket but the Baker knew that he would be repaid. When the snow melted Happy went and searched until he found the money and paid the Baker for the bread.
She had given her picture to a boyfriend and even though they were no longer seriously going together he kept it in his wallet. He showed the picture to the man and he was smitten by the red-haired freckle-face girl and asked for her address. They started writing to each other. They first met when he was on leave. She was so nervous that she dropped the hot fudge sundae she was making on his lap.
Sixty-five years ago today they eloped to St. Louis. She had never seen a big city before and stared at the skyscrapers and fell off of the curb because she was looking at the high buildings. They found a minister who was actually cleaning out the church’s furnace at the time. He found a couple of witnesses for them and married they were married. He was on his way to the Pacific to join the war effort and it was common in those days for people to marry in a hurry before being deployed in the war.
The future would hold five children a granddaughter and three great grandchildren. Their last anniversary celebration together was ten years ago for a couple weeks later he would be dead from a sudden heart attack. He was the only man she ever loved. So happy anniversary Mom and Dad and thanks for the memories of that day sixty-five years ago.
“From the very core of our being we desire contentment. For harmony, each individual’s identity must be fully respected.” Dalai Lama
Memories allow us to go back in time. This story goes back sixty-five years. He was twenty-five at the time and she was seventeen. He was in the Army and she was working at the soda counter of the local drug store. Neither one was born to privilege or money and both started working early in life to help support themselves.
He graduated high school at fifteen having skipped grades. College was deferred until after his stint in the Army. He left home early to get away from a stepmother he couldn’t stand. He had lost his own mother to a brain aneurysm when he was only six. He loved his father and inherited his love of autos and the ability to fix them from him.
He had many stories to tell of his time on his own after high school graduation. His dreams of being a baseball star were shattered when he blew his shoulder out. He was working on the farm of John Dillenger’s father on the day that Dillenger was killed. The father never said a word about the death of his son. He worked in the CCC camps that Roosevelt had set up to try and employ people during the last great depression. He had a harrowing story to tell of driving a tuck with nitroglycerine in it. He told the story of becoming a boxing champion in spite of his small size. The Army was his choice to fight for his country during World War II.
She was the youngest surviving child of ten. Her grandfather lost the farm through drinking and gambling and his son worked at odd jobs to support his family. She adored her Dad who was Irish and nicknamed “Happy” because he always kept a sunny disposition. When he died later in life the church was packed with friends who loved him. She learned honesty from him and tells the story of his walking in the snow to buy bread for his family. The fifteen cents had fallen from a hole in his pocket but the Baker knew that he would be repaid. When the snow melted Happy went and searched until he found the money and paid the Baker for the bread.
She had given her picture to a boyfriend and even though they were no longer seriously going together he kept it in his wallet. He showed the picture to the man and he was smitten by the red-haired freckle-face girl and asked for her address. They started writing to each other. They first met when he was on leave. She was so nervous that she dropped the hot fudge sundae she was making on his lap.
Sixty-five years ago today they eloped to St. Louis. She had never seen a big city before and stared at the skyscrapers and fell off of the curb because she was looking at the high buildings. They found a minister who was actually cleaning out the church’s furnace at the time. He found a couple of witnesses for them and married they were married. He was on his way to the Pacific to join the war effort and it was common in those days for people to marry in a hurry before being deployed in the war.
The future would hold five children a granddaughter and three great grandchildren. Their last anniversary celebration together was ten years ago for a couple weeks later he would be dead from a sudden heart attack. He was the only man she ever loved. So happy anniversary Mom and Dad and thanks for the memories of that day sixty-five years ago.
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