photobooth friday

(my parents, jim and gussy, sometime around 1967, eastern illinois university-- the last one is my all-time favorite photo of the two of them)

I watched my parents in the dark of the car last night. we were all packed in there, packed in tight-- me and the kids in the back seat, my mom and dad and the two dogs in the front. the windows were slightly cracked and I could hear the hum of the engine, the passing traffic. soothed by the darkness, the kids finally (FINALLY) succumbed to sleep. we weren't making great time-- midnight was approaching and we had a ridiculous amount of mileage left to cover. I slipped my headphones on and let my head fall awkwardly back. there was no getting comfortable on that hump, no matter how much I wiggled and shifted. finally, I slung my legs over the front seat. I could see my parents were in the middle of a conversation. I wondered what they were talking about and turned down the volume to eavesdrop. and it was nothing really, but small talk. still, I was taken by the kindnesses that continue to pass between the two of them. something about the way he thanked her for the coffee she handed him, something about the way they still look at each other.

I realize how lucky I am, to have been witness to this marriage for all of my life. I'm painfully aware of how rare this is, how extraordinary. not that their marriage is a flawless one-- I could write a book on all the quirks. at the same time, I could probably write ten books on why the quirks work in their favor. this past wednesday, they celebrated 37 years of marriage. love, love, love. and something more than love, I think.

(happy anniversary, mom and dad)

the photobooth friday love continues:

jesC
the whole self
lovegreendog
scrumdillyumscious
woofnanny