Thirty-nine years ago, the first man walked on the moon. Woodstock was attended by hundreds of thousands of hippies. The first draft lottery was held since WWII. But most important to me, thirty-nine years ago today, my parents were married. My mom just celebrated her 56th birthday last month and my dad will celebrate his in December. Go ahead, I'll wait while you do the math.
For those counting, yes, that means my parents were 17 and 16 when they got married. They had just entered their senior year of high school and were completely in love, and no, my mom wasn't pregnant! In reality, getting married that young wasn't all that unusual in 1969. I remember pouring over my mom's old yearbooks as a little girl and her pointing out which of her friends had also gotten married that year.
After the wedding, they moved in with my dad's parents and as my mom tells it, living with her in-laws for the first year of marriage was a challenge! Though my dad was offered a full football scholarship for college, he turned it down as he was now a married man and had to enter the workforce once they graduated from high school. And that draft lottery held for Vietnam? Just a year after they graduated, my dad was notified that his draft number was 27 (out of 365!). Knowing that he would definitely get called since it was such a low number, my dad decided to volunteer instead. His luck took a turn for the better though, when A-M (according to last name) of his platoon was sent to Vietnam and N-Z was sent to West Point to be Military Police. He was probably never happier to be a Sloan! Still, I can't even imagine the stress that put on my parents in the very early years of my marriage, but like always, they persevered.
My parents have so many heartwarming and hilarious stories from their 39 years of marriage, but one of my favorites actually happened during their first year of marriage. It was their senior year of high school and they were having their senior portraits done. In my mom's version of the story, the photographer was a very sweet, yet blatantly gay man. As they still do today, the girls wore drapes for their senior formal portrait. As the photographer helped my mom arrange the drape over her shoulders, out of nowhere, my dad came running over and punched the photographer in the face for "getting fresh" with my mom! My dad swears to this day that the photographer was trying to grope her!Whatever the case, the photographer refused to shoot my dad's portrait, thus his name is featured in the back of the yearbook with the caption "No picture available" under it. And my poor mom? Her senior portrait shows her with a tear-streaked face and puffy eyes from crying! And Jon wonders where I get my jealous streak from...
Jon and I got married at the same church, the same altar, as my parents. Fittingly, my parent's marriage has truly been the best example for me in my own marriage. I've learned that it's full of ups and downs. Sometimes you absolutely want to smack your husband (or wife) in the head, while at other times, you want to smother him in kisses. There are times when he embarrasses you and there are times when he makes you swell with pride. There are arguments and disagreements and then there are times when you couldn't feel any more united. Marriage takes work and dedication and most importantly, a sense of humor!
Thanks, Mom and Dad, for showing me how to be a good wife and how to have a successful marriage. Congratulations on celebrating your 39th wedding anniversary!
