Thirty-five years ago today my parents wed in the LDS Temple in Los Angeles. A year and a few months later, I was born (see photo). Within eight years, Frank and Dee Dee had themselves a passel of five, a mortgage on a starter home, grad student loans piling up and some pretty hefty responsibilities at church.
Now I'm not privy to the inner details of their marriage, but I can say that as a kid closely watching their every move, I knew without a doubt they loved each other. And I knew that when they did have disagreements, they wouldn't yell or stomp out of the room. They would close themselves off in their bedroom and speak in low, yet urgent, tones until they had resolved the dispute. That's just one of life's lessons I learned by watching my parents.
For thirty-five years, they've been selfless with each other - and with us. Even the way they celebrate their anniversary proves my point. They've never even called it an anniversary. Rather it's "our family birthday." They never asked for presents or applause from us kids. Instead, they would include us in the anniversary celebration - a family picnic, dinner at a restaurant, a rented movie and cheese popcorn.
As an adult I now realize how selfless that was. The one day my parents had every excuse to get a sitter and call the time their own, was the day they made a point of gathering us around and planning something fun for the whole family. Remarkable.
Happy Family Birthday Mom and Dad.
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