How About Some Love?

This story has to be told. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when my Mom told it to me.
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My parents, Pam and Gerry, have been married for 35 years. The past 2 years have been some of the most trying and troubling times of their marriage. It has proven the Vow to Love, in Sickness and in Health. Theirs is an example of getting married and the commitment and love it takes to keep things moving.

My dad's condition now has masked him behind a wall of being nearly-catatonic most of the time. His face always looks disinterested, or like he just woke from a nap. His speech is quiet, stuttered, sometimes non-sequitir, but always kind. He shuffles his feet when he walks. He loves a good hug. He doesn't comprehend his changes the way you would when you're fine one day and sick the next, missing how good it feels to be well. Most of his normal capacity for thoughtful planning is gone. This is what happens, among other things, when Dementia has set in.

The other day, Mom went to get Dad and go for a drive. Seattle's had nice weather to compensate for the storm of penalties in the Super Bowl. When it's nice out, my Mom will get my Dad tidied up and head out for a while, to break his routine and spend some time together. They don't talk the way they used to, but sometimes you just need to be around each other to feel good.

They ended up at a local community center, taking a seat near a woman playing some old standards on the piano. When she asked if anybody wanted to hear anything, one gentleman yelled out "Yeah, your car leaving the parking lot." HEEEY, ba-dum-bum.
Mom & Dad are sitting there holding hands, tapping toes, just being near each other. Then my Dad turns to my mom, looks at her, and says...

"I'm glad I married you."

35 years and Counting.

Happy Valentine's Day!
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I want to thank each of you who have shared comments and well-wishes and prayers with me through these writings. You've all made this seem much easier and feel more tolerable. Your care and love for my family is appreciated more than words could ever say.

I have had to disable the Comments for this blog because of a quickly-growing nuisance known as Blamming, or Blog-Spamming. This is where a company with a false profile and no actual blog puts comments in legitimate blogs as advertisements for themselves. When they comment it drives false traffic to my blog, as well as to my mailbox, so I've been overloaded with pointless information even more than if I were to actually pay attention at work. If you would like to e-mail me, you can do so at GeoffLottRules at Yahoo dot com. Spelled it out so webspies can't keep spammin' me. DAMN THE SPAM!!!