Shootin' it Straight -Test of Time

With the recent passing of my father, much time has been spent in reflection. Some of which is drenched in sadness. Some in reminiscing. A large portion in thankfulness for all the time that was allotted to us. In the stroll down memory lane, one factor that is almost taken for granted is the fact my parents was in the midst of their 48th year of marriage. A marriage of that length is swiftly becoming a historical artifact in the modern age of tossing things aside like everything is disposable. 

 I will not lay the veneer over the aspect of their marriage. Hard times were certainly not a stranger to the household my parents made into a home. Financial burdens lurked in the shadows. While they were never quite poor, next month's bills were always a restless night away. Vacations required planning, scrounging, and a few weekends of overtime. Automobile choices were rarely determined by color options and style preferences but rather by budgets. Us three boys certainly ate enough to put a large dent in the monthly grocery allotment. I saw Mom and Dad disagree many times. I saw the ups and downs of marriage. I saw them both struggle often, putting us kids first. I saw Dad peel off those old work boots laced so tight they almost certainly played a part in keeping his tired legs straight. I witnessed Mom fall asleep fully dressed on a couch, exhausted from a day of work, laundry, full supper, and wrangling us heathens. What I never saw was either of them give up on us or the marriage. 

 Mom stuck by him, literally til the end, then some. Dad for his part wanted her there without fail. That's how you notch 48 years on the belt. You just don't quit. Through thick and thin they stood on their vows. They stood by each other when things could have possibly been easier strolling down a different path. They held on to what they built when the winds raged against them. They clung to their promises when the light at the end of the tunnel seemed nonexistent. They made the hard times a little less so for each other. All of this made the Spencer's burgers taste a little better. It made Christmas gifts just hit a little different. It made Sunday service mean sink below the surface. It made 48 years seems like nothing and not nearly enough.