In honor of Valentine's Day, let me tell you a little romantic tale. It's about two people in love, who on this week in February in 1978 wanted to marry. Only, they didn't. Why? Because of the infamous Blizzard of 1978. Walking down the street in New England, particularly in Danvers, Massachusetts, was challenging in of itself; attempting to fly out of Logan airport to travel internationally was impossible. Therefore, wedding plans were delayed until further notice. That delay continued all month, until FINALLY on March 2, 1978, my parents were wed overseas.
There was no elaborate wedding, no photos to mark the occasion, either. Just the presence of all their loved ones as they said their vows with the Justice of the Peace, followed by a modest party with family and friends. Such was the start of their lives together, with many adventures ahead. But they weathered everything, just the two of them, sometimes without even asking for help from their loved ones. There were many things they handled on their own, which they were determined to figure out for themselves.
Their first test of love was in making it through a temporary season of living apart while my dad came back to the States and prepared a place for my mom. Not long after she finally joined him and made it a true home, she became pregnant. Only, circumstances happened that it was all but sure she lost the baby. Saddened but resilient, they moved forward, and it was to their utter surprise that around this time (give or take a few weeks) in 1979 that they discovered that little life (me) had somehow yet remained in the womb! No one knows how or why, but the very fact that it happened that way was typical of the rest of how our lives would be. And so, for their second test of love, I very impatiently made an entrance into this world two months ahead of my due date as a very tiny preemie that required all kinds of ongoing medical attention for many months and years to come.
My parents are generally private people who love family with a fierce intensity. And anyone who knows them knows how much that is true of their parenting. Good or bad, they spent every last dime on whatever it took to keep the three of us in good health and with a roof over our heads. Sometimes it meant we moved a lot, sometimes we had no car. And sometimes we ate with close family friends on a weekly basis. But no matter what obstacle lay ahead, my parents got through each one without fail. We were together, and that was what was important. They taught me that love is worth more than all the money in the world. It reminds me, in fact, of the very Bible verse found in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 which can be paraphrased as follows:
If I don't have love, then everything I try to say becomes mere noise.
If I possess all the knowledge of the world and have the kind of faith that moves mountains, they amount to nothing without love.
If I give away everything I own for the sake of those in need, or suffer any sort of persecution without love, I gain nothing.
Time and again, through countless tests of love, my parents have shown everyone we know how much love is WHO they are. So many people have been invited over to share in humble meals, watch a football game, or celebrate holidays with us, just because they had little or no family to do so with themselves. My parents have gone out of their way to greet strangers, they've given rides to anyone who needed one, and have shown up unannounced with food and gifts for anyone they've been prompted to go visit.
For as long as I can remember, I've always made it a point to make their anniversaries special. One year, I arranged to have them take a limo ride to a fancy dinner for their first and only ever date night out. For another, I got our gang together and held them a surprise party. Just a few years ago, I put together a slideshow of wishes from our family from across the globe, set to music they cherish. And last year when they celebrated their 40th, I collected everyone's sentiments and hung them as ornaments on a table-sized "tree."
What I want my parents to know this year is that they continue to bring the rest of us joy by celebrating yet another anniversary. We LOVE you just as much as you love us all, and we wish you the very best, now and always!❤️. And have a Happy Valentine's Day, too!😘
