How Did I End Up Divorced?

Yesterday I posted about the inspiring longevity of my parents’ marriage and received admiring comments from some of my divorced friends, Michele, T, MomZombie, and AAC.  As I read them, I wondered if they, like me, felt just a twinge of sadness at their inability to hit similar marital milestones.  I suppose that every couple that gets married assumes that they will stay together forever.  However, with my parents as role models, I was especially convinced that I had all the ingredients and tools for a lasting union. Read the rest of this entry »

49 Years

Aren't my parents a dishy couple?

They met in 1961.

On a blind date.

While she was pinned to someone else.

That guy was soon forgotten,

As she agreed to marry my dad a few days later.

My Oma dropped a plate in surprise.

Then my mom took off for Europe for three months,

And they were married after Christmas.

A romantic, yet impulsive, beginning.

Throughout the years,

They have had their conflicts.

No doubt.

But they always work them out,

And neither of them holds grudges,

Nor takes the fights too seriously.

Their secret?

It’s not passion, nor values, nor their kids, nor sheer dedication,

Although they’ve had them all.

Mom says theirs is a spiritual union.

That doesn’t mean they’re united in God’s eyes,

And thus will be forever connected.

It means that they continue to help each other grow and learn.

And that’s an excitement that never gets old.

* * * * * * * *

Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad.  Your relationship is an inspiration to everyone who knows you.  I love you both very much.

Do any of you have any marital secrets you’d like to share?  I’d love to know them…

C’mon Get Happy

Is happiness a goal to achieve?

A shiny trophy that you win

And then admire on a shelf?

I once thought it was a

Husband, house, career and two kids,

But those resulted in temporary highs,

And more than a few lows.

When my marriage ended, I thought

That happiness would also take leave.

Yet instead it turned my thinking

On its head, on my head,

And asked me to reconsider what

It takes to be truly happy.

I learned that it isn’t what

I do but how I think.

So instead of fretting about the

Events in my life, I use

them as a springboard for joy.

This semester has been one of

The busiest and most stressful thus

I know that I will savor

My long Christmas vacation even more.

Recently my dad had an operation

That has caused him to find

Renewed appreciation for life and love

This year the holiday season won’t

Be a time of financial stress

But instead one to cherish the

Riches of being together in celebration.

My inability to buy lavish gifts

Has helped me choose with more

Care, thought and creativity.  A disgruntled

Student motivated me to buy treats

For our last department meeting, putting

Everyone in a more festive mood.

The departure of my son’s teacher

Offers him new ways of learning.

Each “setback” is therefore an invitation

To look for the silver lining,

To find a way to peace

To reach for more uplifting thoughts.

I possess a beautiful new secret.

Because now I get it that

I’m not grateful because I’m happy.

I’m happy because I am grateful.

* * * * * *

According to dear Melissa, this will be the last Six Word Friday post until the New Year.  Thanks to all the participants, readers and commenters.  You have all brought me much joy.  Have a happy holiday season.  Remember that it is yours to make jolly.

Monday Morning You’re Sure to Find…

…my kids reading the New Yorker before breakfast.  Clearly my ex and I have to be very careful what kind of behavior we are modeling.  I should have listened when warned about the dangers of the liberal media.  Look at what it has done to my kids.  Layla doesn’t even have pants on.

A Gift Twice Received

Gifts in boxes, wrapped with bows.

Breathless anticipation, joyous discovery, seeing what

A loved one has bequeathed you.

Sometimes though, the gift is bittersweet,

A painful reminder of the past.

Of a precious love once shared,

No longer present in your life.

Yesterday I re-opened such a gift.

It was like opening Pandora’s box.

Sadness, regret, longing filled my heart.

As I sifted through its contents,

However, it magically transformed, and I

Was able to see it differently.

The memories that once seemed painful

Instead became reminders of tenderness exchanged,

Joy experienced, doubts confirmed, lessons learned.

Thus this gift was twice received,

Once with the innocence of delight

Then again with the wisdom of

Hindsight, understanding, reconciliation, and the knowledge

That I was once deeply loved.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

This post was inspired by and linked to Six Word Fridays.  The weekly topic that Melissa provides us always feels like gift, as it provokes deep feelings inside me that don’t always come out when I write in prose.