Over 42 years ago, a young man and a young woman had a chance meeting over in Japan. The young woman was beautiful, blonde, and smart as a whip. The young man was smart, looked sharp in his uniform, and had a soft spot for strong women. The young woman had been bored in college so, when her father got order's from the Air Force to transfer to Japan, she decided to go with them. She enrolled in school, got hired to teach English to diplomats, and spent her spare time teaching lifeguarding classes to the military men on base. The young man was a navigator in the Air Force and his squadron made regular runs to Japan. One day, they had a longer layover than usual and he decided to stop by the pool on base. When he got to the pool, his attention was immediately drawn to this blonde woman who (in his words) was making fools of those airmen in the water. Yup, that was when my dad first saw my mom. 10 months later, they were married. During those 10 months, he was stationed in New Jersey and flew through Japan while she was living in Japan...so, they only saw each other a total of 14 whole or partial days. Next May, from the 22 through the 27, they will be celebrating their 42nd wedding anniversary. Of course, my dad, being the wonderful smart ass that he is, tell people that they are celebrating their 126 anniversary. Since they were both American citizens and the wedding was in Japan, they got married in a Japanese legal ceremony and an American legal ceremony (both on May 22, 1967) and then had a church wedding on May 27th. He just multiples the 42 years that they wil have spent together by 3.
Life hasn't always been perfect. They've had some really tough times. But, they have always loved each other with every fiber of their being. They have really shown me the meaning of the wedding vows "for better or for worse". I couldn't have asked for a better example to try and live up to.
Here they are almost 42 years ago...
and here they are today...
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18 comments:
I love love stories! Especially if they are real, you know ups and downs and not just fairy tales. :)
That's a great story, and I love that you included Then and Now pix!
What a great story. Happy anniversary to them.
So sweet! I love that old picture of them. They look really happy. I got a little teary...what a great story.
A lovely story with a happy ending
That is so sweet, and so exotic! It makes your parents seem so fun and vibrant. Happy Anniversary to them.
Thanks for this wonderful show and tell! All too often I think we, the kids, get so focused on our evolution as grown ups and forget that our parents went through it too. Moreover, they went through it - together!
We should all be so blessed to tell the story of our parents. Maybe I will someday!
what a great family story. I love the wedding photo - I have a rather soft spot for military uniforms - doesn't every woman!!? ;-)
That is such a great story. What a wonderful example to have growing up. I wish all the success of their wonderful marriage!
Beautiful love story, great pictures too. Thank you for sharing your inspiration in marriage, it inspires me too.
What a lovely story, and lovely pictures too.
you are the spitting image of your mom.
What a great story. And love the then, and now, photos. You can t4ell how much they still care for each other.
Wow, what a wonderful inspiration they are! You know from reading my blog that my grandparents have been married 61 years - it's fabulous to have such wonderful role models. Thanks for sharing their story. :)
Thanks for sharing. I can see a definite resemblance between you and your mom. Happy Anniversary to them!
What a wonderful story! after my parents' disastrous marriage stories like this give me hope!
Absolutely Amazing....it touched my heart!
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What a beautiful love story. It's amazing how you can find THE right person in the wildest of places. What a great gift to have such great role models!! :)
Wow- knew each other basically 14 days and married now for 42 years! Happy Anniversary!
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