Happy Anniversary

If Daddy were alive today, he and mom would have been in Branson, MO on a trip that he had already planned and paid for before he got sick in April. He was so excited about the 2 of them getting away for a weekend together. Usually, when they went somewhere, they would either visit family or take one of the grandkids with them. This trip to Branson would have been a rare time for just the 2 of them.

Instead, mom came to Austin to see me. She and Aunt Lynn (her traveling buddy) got in on Friday. We had a great dinner with Ryan and Jeanie. This morning, we decided to hit the day running, by going to garage sales then to Fredricksburg to hang out.

After a couple of hours of garage sales, we came back to our house to shower and change for Fredricksburg. When we got home, we had yellow roses and white daisies along with some chocolate covered pecans waiting on mom.

About a year or so ago, Daddy and I were talking. He told me a story...I don't know where he got it from. Maybe he read it in an e-mail or a book, or saw it on TV. I don't know. The story goes:

There was a couple who fell in love and married. Eventually, the man became ill and died. (I think from cancer). On the day of the first wedding anniversary since his death, the lady's doorbell rang. She answered the door and standing there was a flower delivery man. She accepted the flowers and opened the card. In his handwriting was a note that said, "I wish I were with you. I love you."

She called the florist and they told her the name of the person who sent the flowers. It was her lawyer. She called the lawyer who told her that when her husband came in to make sure all was in order before he died, he asked him to send her that card along with some flowers for their wedding anniversary. After that, on every wedding anniversary, she would receive flowers.

Daddy told me, "I wish I were rich enough to do that for your mama." I replied that he didn't have to be rich because he had 3 kids! I told him I can take care of that for you. He said, "Well, if this thing gets me, you do that!" We were laughing and being kinda funny. Neither of us really believing that this day would come ever, much less this soon.

I did ask him what he would want the card to say. So, I wrote that for mama. I wish I would have been smart enough to go to the store and let him write the card himself. We just thought we had more time!

I am so grateful to have such an example from both of my parents on how to love. I hope that I am half as good at it as they showed me to be.

I love you, mama and daddy - Happy Anniversary.
Aimee