On November 15, 1947, my parents got married. That would make today their 75th wedding anniversary. It's a mind-boggling stretch of time. Perhaps "a lifetime" would be a more accurate description.
Mom and Dad got married five days before Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were wed. I'm the eldest of four children, but although both King Charles and Princess Anne were born before I was, my mother had her fourth child almost two years before the Queen had her fourth baby, Prince Edward.
I remember hearing about the youngest British prince's birth quite vividly. My parents and all four kids were riding in the family station wagon, on our way to visit my grandparents. My youngest brother, a hyperactive toddler, was tethered into his carseat (such as they were in 1964), and Dad had the car radio tuned to the news. The birth of the new prince was announced, with the broadcaster concluding his report with the words, "this is Queen Elizabeth's fourth child."
From the backseat, I saw my mother glance at the radio in surprise, then toss this comment in Dad's direction. "She's just now up to four? Oh, I'm way ahead of her."
I remember that, child though I was, Mom's remark made me chuckle. The memory of it still does. It was a classic Mom one-liner. She had the proverbial million of them, and almost all had staying power. My siblings and I, now seniors all, can rarely hold a conversation without quoting some pithy saying from Mom. If she and my father were alive today, and if Mom were asked how they had stayed married for so long, she might respond "with the help of God and a couple of cops."
But I'm not sure. As mentioned, she had countless one-liners. Even her ten adult grandchildren quote her with startling regularity. In any given situation, there was no telling what Mom would say next. But it was always safe to bet that it would be memorable.
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| Dad & Mom ~ November 15, 1947 |
