My Mom told me about my Dad singing this song to her when they were newly married and I pulled it up in my Apple Music. We have been listening to it every day since Mother’s Day because I am trying to wrap my head around my Dad singing this song to my Mother. My brother, Steve, and my aunt Lissa corroborated her story and they also remembered my Dad singing it to her when they were young. Even though my brother and my aunt let me know that my Mom’s story was true, I had the hardest time envisioning it. I figured if I immersed myself in the song, and then it would be easier:
I am still having difficulty envisioning this! When you are young, your parents are just your parents and you don’t really think about them being in love. My parents were just my parents. I did, however, witness what I believe that love could be like when Sean was born and toward the end of my Dad’s life. Sean knew my dad, his, “Gandfodder” and his best friend. I have three distinct memories that show me how much they were still in love!
I’m not sure which memory comes first but I know they all happened when Sean was alive.
Sean and I came over one morning for breakfast and we always came in through their side door. Once the drawer was opened, my Dad would call to my son, “Where’s my baby?!“ as Sean ran to the living room where he was. I remember coming up those stairs and seeing my Mom making eggs. I remember her looking extremely happy, she told me that she got married last night! She recounted her dream of reliving all the events from her wedding day. I was she described everything, she looked wistful and she told me when she grabbed my Dad’s outstretched hand at the altar, everything was in color and then she woke up. I enjoyed watching her face but was sad that it ended so abruptly. She continued working at the stove and then looked at me and excited they said, “So then, I fell asleep and dreamed it again!
We both started laughing and that day they drink Orange juice from their wedding flutes and my mom kept referring to my dad as, “My husband” and my Dad called her, “My bride.” I really appreciate that I got to witness this!
My second memory is the one that I did not witness but my mom tells me the story finally. It was just after my Dad second heart surgery and he was intubated for eight days (had that tube down his throat) which was unbearable for him! My Mom told me about locking eyes with him in an attempt to calm him down. My Mom told me that they stared at each other for a very long time as my Dad began to calm down. A nurse came in to take his vitals and she recognized that she was interrupting some intimate moment between them so she looked at my Mom and told her that she would come back. I love hearing my Mom tell me about that!
My third and final memory that I hold dear is that one time, well Sean and I still lived with them, I walked into the living room to witness my parents sitting on the couch holding hands and watching TV! Actually, my Mom was watching TV and my Dad was just listening while holding my Mom’s hand. Retrospectively, I understand that my Dad’s vision had gotten pretty bad before he died but the fact that they would do something so sweet as hold hands while watching TV is the cutest thing EVER to me!
Even with these memories clear in my mind, I still can’t wrap my head around my Dad singing this song to my Mom. It’s nice for me to know that it’s true though…