The music that is playing is Always their favorite song.

Oh wow, where do I begin? Because of these two wonderful people, my brother, Don, and I are on the face of this earth.

Mom and Dad got married in February of 1943. A few weeks later Dad went into the Navy and served in World War 2. He recieved an honoable discharge.

As long as I can remember they had worked, Mom in a cotton mill, Dad in a paper mill and the local newspaper. They were both hard working individuals. Don and I never wanted for anything. We weren't wealthy by any means but we were "rich". Rich in the fact that our parents loved us dearly. We didn't need all the fancy doodads of the day, because we had our parents love. As long as we had that none of the material things meant anything.

Dad and Mom always took us on summer vacations, that I remember well even at the age of 50. I can still remember when we went to Adams Pond in Maine, I was about 6 or 7, we met "Smiley" the dog. You may think I am crazy but this dog actually smiled. On this same vacation I can still see my brother on the dock fishing. He caught the biggest fish I had ever seen, himself. As he was casting out, the line came down behind him and caught him in the seat of his pants.

I recall almost everything from that trip, right down to the cows in the pasture across the pond and looking at the faraway mountain tops, the carved wooden totem pole on the side of the road. Those were the days. :)

Now do any of you baby boomers remember "pink" Christmas trees, or "silver" Christmas trees with the color wheel turning to reflect off the tree? Yep, you guessed it, we had both. I thought I was so cool because we had a silver tree. Holidays were always special in our family. Back then the whole family got together for Holiday meals and we had the times of our lives at these gatherings.

They loved to travel. They would drive to Virgina to visit with my brother who lived in Williamsburg for about 14 years. They even went to Disney World by themselves, at least twice that I can remember, and drove up to Niagra Falls. I guess that is where I get the love of traveling from.

Dad took sick in the early "80s and passed away on October 17, 1998. I miss him terribly, but I know that he is still with us. At times I can feel him with me, looking over my shoulder. It is very hard to lose a parent. They are supposed to be infallible.

Mom is not longer with us. She started with Altzheimers shortly after Dad passed away. It was very hard to watch her go down hill so quickly. She went to be with Dad on November 2, 2001.

God has definitely blessed my brother and I by giving us the parents He did. We could not have asked for better.

Thank you Dear God.



TWO BOXES

I have in my hands two boxes Which God gave me to hold. He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black, And all your joys in the gold."

I heeded His words, and in the two boxes Both my joys and sorrows I store. But though the gold became heavier each day The black was as light as before.

With curiosity, I opened the black I wanted to find out why. And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole Which my sorrows had fallen out by.

I showed the hole to God, and mused aloud, "I wonder where my sorrows could be." He smiled a gentle smile at me. "My child, they're all here with me."

I asked, "God, why give me the boxes, Why the gold, and the black with the hole?" "My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings, the black is for you to let go."

* Author Unknown *



If tears could build a stairway

And memories were a lane.

I would walk right up to heaven

And bring you home again.

No farewell words were spoken

No time to say goodbye.

You were gone before I knew it

And only God knows why.

My heart still aches in sadness

And secret tears still flow.

What it meant to lose you

No one will ever know.

~Author Unknown~




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