Rather than calling my son by his name, my Dad always referred to or addressed him as, “Handsome” for Sean‘s entire life while my Dad was alive. In fact, he called all of his grandsons, “Handsome.” I remember my brother, Jimmy, continuing to call all of them, “Handsome” while they were young.
Yesterday, my Mom told me a story of her younger days just as she started dating my Dad and I’m STILL trying to wrap my head around it! I really appreciate that she begins to tell storied of her and my Dad‘s beginning years of their relationship!
Yesterday, she started telling me about being at my Dad’s house (really my grandparents’ house) and he and, “The kids” (my aunts and uncles) were going to wash my grandpa’s car. She started the story by telling me that my aunt Lis was hanging on the fence. She added that my aunt Lis ALWAYS hung on the fence. She told me that there were tons of kids around my Dad which makes sense because he is the second oldest of 10.
Then, she got this far away look in her eyes and had the look of a lovestruck teenager when she told me that, “[My Dad] was SO HANDSOME!” WHAT?! My Dad is my Dad! He’s NOT handsome!
Now that I am an adult and am able to witness my Mom recounting her younger years of dating and marriage first hand, I am seeing my parents’ relationship in a whole new light! That’s who they were! Love struck teenagers! To me, that’s crazy because they are just my parents. I recently head someone remind me that they DID have five kids! Which is true.
Since I saw that look in my Mom’s eyes yesterday, I recognize the depth of their relationship but I am still trying to wrap my head around it! To me, that’s crazy! They are just my parents! But now, I see them as so much more!
Even though it is difficult for me to wrap my head around, part of me really appreciates that my Mom (AND my Dad) was just that, a lovestruck teenager and even though it’s hard for me to fathom, I appreciate being able to see them in a different light, I only wish my Dad was here to corroborate her story! Not that I doubt her at all but it would be nice to hear what he has to say about it from his perspective.