What Were You Doing?

Each year on our anniversary, we play the "What Were You Doing?" game. The day before and the day of our anniversary, we ask each other what we were doing on that day at that time. This year we have been asking, "What were you doing forty-five years ago today at this time?" After forty-five years, we find that some of the smallest details are becoming fuzzier, but there are some things we remember every year. Our most precious memories, we find, include many funny things that happened that day, but some are so special, they remain locked between just the two of us, kept in that place in our hearts where we share the only key.

When we remember the day before our wedding, we remember it as busy with final loose ends to tie up. We had no groom's dinner, but after the rehearsal, everyone was invited back to my home where my mother had prepared yet another feast for those who attended the rehearsal. Ron's family had traveled from Minnesota and were all there, as well as all of our bridal party and family. It was a crowd, but everyone was happy and, of course, only my Mom could have made a simple meal a feast fit for a king. she accomplished this in spite of helping me plan a wedding, caring for our busy family and dealing with the natural emotions of "losing" her first child. I am still in awe of her love and abilities. She was and is my example of beautiful womanhood.

The day of our wedding was the only Saturday in November with beautiful clear weather at a comfortable sixty-eight degrees. That was a true indication to us that God was smiling on us and blessing us. Ron was a member of the Fifth Army Band, considered at that time to be one of the premiere military bands. We were blessed to have his friends from the band provide the music at our wedding. Unfortunately, we didn't think to have it taped, so it only remains in our memories, but the musicians were spectacular. We had asked one of the men, a fine trumpeter, to play "Trumpet Voluntary" as the processional. He was to begin playing as I entered the sanctuary. The aisle I had walked every Sunday to attend Mass, extended forever that day as I stood on my Dad's arm at the back of the church. I actually forgot the trumpet would begin as I stepped out from under the balcony and when it did, I momentarily hesitated. My beloved Dad didn't miss a beat when he whispered to me, "Can't back down now." His comment immediately calmed me enough to begin the long walk down that aisle.

I remember the priest who conducted our wedding was having his own first that day. We were his first wedding. He was nervous as well. He asked Ron if he would take me as his wife. When Ron affirmed he would, Fr. Dubi turned to me and asked if I would take Ron to be MY wife. I had no idea how to answer - if I said "no" how would that look to those witnessing the wedding, but if I said yes, was my answer valid? It's amazing how many thoughts can crowd a second, but I chose to say yes, so now Ron and I acknowledge we are both on level ground, since we're both wives.

We forgot about the photographer who wanted to take pictures on the steps of the church after the ceremony and as we exited the church to a volley of rice (at that time it was allowed), and lima beans (thanks to my teen-age cousins!), we continued to run to get to the car and out of the rain of lima beans. We needed to retrace our steps to have our pictures taken. Fortunately, the spots where the lima beans hit did not show on the photos.

The reception began a few hours after the wedding because a wedding immediately followed ours at the Church. We shared the flowers we bought with the next wedding, so didn't need to remove them from the church. To keep those who had traveled from being without a place to be until the reception, my parents once again hosted a light lunch at our home. I continue to be amazed at the unconditional love my parents had for us not only that weekend, but our entire life together. The reception itself was huge, Polish, and filled with laughter, dancing, food, more food, and plenty of drinking. I had shared with Ron the traditions with which he would deal during the reception - we could not leave until the last of our guests was gone and he had to dance with any woman who asked him. Poor Ron did not know how to dance, and so we spent two weeks prior to the wedding in my basement with me trying to teach him the basic steps to the waltz and polka. When the time came, Ron rose to the challenge and did pretty well, until his partners asked him a question. Then he needed to stop dancing, because he couldn't count and talk at the same time. Most of the guests left before midnight, except for one man who mourned the loss of a pin. He claimed the pin was worth four thousand dollars and he refused to leave without it, even with assurances from my parents and the owner of the ballroom that if he left his name and address they would surely return it if it was discovered. He refused to leave and we were kept at the ballroom because we had come to the reception in my parents' car! We learned after hunting for nearly an hour that the pin itself was plastic, and he had received it after taking a course in broadcasting for which he paid four thousand dollars. My father quickly closed the session by telling the man everyone had to leave - now!

We returned to my parents' house to find Ron's car up on blocks (thanks to my uncles and cousins again). Fortunately for us, that was all that happened negatively because my father asked our neighbor to keep an eye on the house and he chased off the pranksters with a rifle. Thank you!

My mother performed another miracle by hosting a party the following day at our home for anyone who wanted to come over and be with us while we opened the gifts we received. Unfortunately, Ron and I were not able to make it to the party because we were both ill. After all the excitement, nerves, emotions and very late night, we woke with severe headaches. We arrived at my parents' home too late to see everyone else, but did spend some very special quiet time with my family. Ron was discharged from the Army two days later and we were free to begin our new life together. We spent Thanksgiving with my family and then said good-bye. I assured my mother I would not forget my family and she told me I was always allowed to return home, but not without my husband.

We grew up at the beginning of the "free love" era. However, Ron and I were both raised traditionally and with a strong faith and foundation. We determined prior to our marriage that divorce would never be an option. When we had our counseling sessions, we openly discussed the differences we would face as a "mixed" couple with Ron Protestant and me Catholic. He wrote us a beautiful letter after our marriage encouraging us to keep Jesus at the center of our marriage and we could never fail. We have faithfully done that.

We celebrate forty-five years today. We remember the day with joy and fondness, awe at the love expressed to us. We have learned the true meaning of unconditional love. Our years have been a mix of ups and downs. We have grown together and learned to know the heart of each other. God has been with us every step of the way - through the birth, growth and finally, adulthood of our sons, through Ron's injury at work and his continued pain each and every day, through financial lows and near poverty, through the ministry of those in our congregations who loved us, and even through those who did not. He has been at the center of our marriage and our life. We could not have survived without him. We have been through things that would have brought many couples to separation and divorce, but we have been blessed to survive with our marriage intact.

Our commitment to each other and our marriage has grown stronger. A waiter asked us at dinner last night how we have made it. He is planning to marry next year and wanted to know our "secret". We continue to be humbled by the fact we are looked at as an oddity - a couple whose marriage has continued. We are humbled because we are truly and completely blessed. We have worked hard, but the commitment we made forty-five years ago sealed our love and desire for each other. We had no loopholes, no ways out. We did not "try it out" before we married. We knew no one else. We kept ourselves for each other and God blessed. He has remained faithful to us as we attempted to remain faithful to him. As we look back, our memories are precious. As we look forward, we are expectant. We pray that God will give us many, many more years together here on earth, hopefully to even see our beautiful grandchildren joined in beautiful, long-lasting marriages!

At Your Age....

As we age, we must face some harsh realities. We must adjust our thinking to take into account the many changes occurring in our bodies. Most of us realize we can no longer do the things we used to be able to do without preparation. For instance, to bend we must position ourselves by something  which we can grab for assistance in rising again. To walk up stairs, we must make sure a sturdy railing is close by to allow us to pull while trying not to cry out in pain as our knees loudly crack and pop (no sneaking around anymore). We find ourselves talking to our bodies. "Come on feet, you can do it, just move a little bit." Above all else, we try to remain off the floor. Once down, we may need to call for assistance - "Help, I've been playing with my grandkids and I can't get up!"

We discover while our bodies are striking for the right to stay put, they are also growing strange, and sometimes painful, lumps and bumps. They all have medical terms like bunions, corns and hammer toes, but what they really are is the body's way of paying us back for years of wearing shoes. This is why many older people wear "old people's shoes." You know the ones I mean, the wide ones with round toes and Velcro so it is easier to remove without bending (remember that need for positioning). I'll be ordering my pair soon.

Our eyes are beginning to betray us as well. We must hold our reading materials farther from our faces to see small print. We may need to have two different types of glasses, one pair for distance and another for close work. We hang glasses around our necks or wear them on top of our head. We often lose one pair - the one we need at that moment. Personally, when using the computer, I enlarge the print to about one hundred thirty percent to see it clearly. Thank heaven for that ability. Speaking of computers, we need to talk about our fingers. That is another area where the body likes to develop additional bumps around the knuckles while thinning the skin and throwing a few dark spots around to decorate them.

While others are looking around them to see who might be present, or where the food is, we must first gauge the distance to the nearest bathroom. We ask ourselves questions before traveling, "How many rest areas between here and there?" or we are computing the ease with which we can arrive somewhere comfortably, "If I go right now I will be able to make it easily." We always visit the restroom prior to leaving the house, especially in cold weather, and resist the desire to drink another cup of coffee."

The worst thing about aging is what happens to our minds. I am one of those people who can start a task, then think of another, and another, and another until I finally return to the first task - with nothing completed. I easily begin a sentence and forget what I was saying within two words. We have grown adept at talking to someone who is very familiar while desperately trying to remember a name.

I have decided to make the best of aging. There is nothing I can do about it. So far I have not been offered senior discounts although I'm very qualified to receive them. I like asking for them and having a clerk tell me I don't look like I'm sixty-six. Of course, I know they're lying, but it sounds good anyway. I may be going grey (I'll keep it covered for a little while yet), and I may search for my keys while holding them in my hand. My husband may walk through the house looking for his cell phone while talking to the doctor on it, and we both may rattle when we walk from all the medications we have to take - with water again. (Where is that bathroom?) We're maintaining our senses of humor about growing older. My dad used to say, "Old age is not fun." Laughter is good medicine and Ron and I are going to be well medicated. We may not be able to stop the aging process, but doggone it, we're going to enjoy it as much as we can.

Now where did I leave my keys again???

Wounded Warriors - Changed Attitudes

I graduated from high school in nineteen sixty-five - during the time of the Viet Nam war. I was not interested at that time of much beyond the Beatles and spending time with my friends. I did not like the news at all. It seemed every college campus was shaken by one protest or another, sit ins, angry words and even violence were part of those scenes.. We heard about all those who dodged the draft by finding other places to live, especially Canada. All of this swirled around me while I blissfully lived the life of a sheltered, parochial school graduate about to enter the job force and more worried about the wardrobe I would need for work than the difficult times through which my country was going.

After graduation I was offered a job as a secretary and my life became one of work, friends from school and new friends and experiences, as well as my mother's sudden illness. I began to hear and see more of the world around me. My boundaries were expanding and I was beginning to seek opportunities to build experience and social skills. One of those opportunities presented itself in the form of the United Service Organization (USO).

My new maturity caused me to pay much more attention to the world in which I lived. I became extremely upset by the treatment I saw the young men received who were returning from the war. They were insulted, called baby killers, and treated generally as unwanted. No one seemed to care.

The militant in me was born. I determined to do something to support those who were fighting for my country. The politics of the war meant nothing to me. With a father who had served during World War II and uncles who served during the Korean War, I was raised to love my country and feel deep gratitude and respect for those who sacrificed themselves to protect the freedoms we have. To show my support, I became a junior hostess at the chartered United Service Organization (USO), which was the officially recognized organization. We were called upon to provide a "home away from home" for the men and women serving in our military as well as the occasional foreign military personnel coming through the city. One weekly opportunity quickly became my favorite. Each Tuesday evening we traveled to the hospital at the Great Lakes Training Center.

We were given strict instructions. We were to visit with the wounded, talk to them about their families or girl friends, play board or card games, and even write letters for those who were unable to do so. We were never, under any circumstances, supposed to ask them what happened to them. If they started to tell us anything, we were to listen quietly, but ask no more of them. I was nervous the first time we went because I did not know what to expect. I had never seen a wound beyond a cut finger or skinned knee. Now I walked into a large ward where each bed held a young man with various injuries from head wounds to missing limbs. It was amazing to me that they were happy to see us enter, and willingly talked about everything but the war. Many weeks we traveled back to our center with tears in our eyes brought on by the things we had seen and the stories we heard. My heart was touched deeply by the sacrifices that had been made. The wounds were grievous to be sure, but the attitudes of these young men were remarkable. They were proud to have served their country.

Perhaps the experience that most impacted my life, however, was when we were invited to attend a dance at the mental health ward of the hospital. These were not the young men we were used to visiting, but men who were literally old enough to be our fathers, World War II and Korean veterans, who were suffering with what was then called "shell shock," or PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). These men were unable to enter back into society because what they experienced during the war was so traumatic. They were gentle, sweet men for the most part, who enjoyed spending time talking to us, dancing and enjoying the company of someone not connected to their medical conditions. Those visits changed my life.

The wounds with which our military return from war are long-lasting and life changing not only for them but their families as well. They will bravely work through painful rehabilitations without complaint. They are proud to serve and willingly set aside their hopes and dreams as they leave their families to spend time in conditions most of us would never abide. They depend on our continued support and love. The thought they are not forgotten carries many through the most difficult situation. When they return home, it is often hard for them to adjust. So many are physically wounded, but many more are wounded mentally. We cannot see those wounds, but they are very real.

I have been overjoyed to see the difference with which our military are being welcomed home during this time. It was so very different for those returning from Viet Nam. I never heard anyone tell a veteran from that war thank you for your service. We can never take back the way the men and women who served then were treated, but we certainly can say thank you now. I don't remember the names of the men I visited with at the hospital so many years ago. I hope that they were able to return to loving families who supported them as they healed. I pray those who suffered invisible wounds have found help to overcome. I'm sure most have, but I'm also sure many have not.

These wounded warriors changed my attitude and my life. I am proud to be a patriot. I am proud of the men and women who serve in our military and sacrifice so much. I'm deeply grateful for the families that support these faithful volunteers. I pray that we, as a country, never forget that what we have is due to the sacrifices so many made, and that we learn to be worthy of that sacrifice.

You Prayed What???

When I was much younger I prayed for the privilege of becoming a martyr for Jesus Christ. Yes, you read that correctly. Let me assure any readers that I am not a person enthralled by pain. I hold no desire to be tortured or separated from any part of my body. I am not a masochist.

I was brought up in a home where Jesus was my best friend. I clearly remember my mother telling me I could always know that Jesus was by my side and I did not need to be afraid of bad dreams, being lost, or fearing to be alone. I knew beyond any doubt that Jesus was real and, though I could not see him with my eyes - my heart felt his nearness and love. When I was confirmed as an eighth grade student in the Catholic Church, I was asked, as were all my classmates, whether I was willing to live for Christ and, if called upon to do so, give my life for him. I felt the solemnity of the moment and the strength of the vow I was about to take. My "yes" meant yes and I determined to be the best follower of Jesus I could possibly be. There have been many times I have fallen short of that goal. I have not been perfect and do not claim perfection in any way. However, I feel an urgency lately that I have not felt previously; and I sense that the time is coming when I may be called upon to choose, as many before me, the acknowledgement of God or the ways of the world.

Persecution may seem to be an impossibility in our society and in America - where everyone is free. However, over the past few months and weeks, the loss of religious liberties for those of us who profess Christ as Lord and Savior, has become more prevalent than ever before. We have become accustomed to being seen as unenlightened, uneducated, intolerant haters, foolish and "losers." Our beloved Christian symbols have been desecrated  with urine and forbidden from public sight. We have been told that our faith is obsolete, irrelevant and out of touch with societal norms. As far as persecution is concerned, this all is quite mild. Believers in other countries know full well that when they say their "Yes," it means loss of family, livelihood, freedom and death. Yet they make the same choice I did with joy and the knowledge of their eternal salvation.

Our country is growing more intolerant of Christianity as the days pass. Public stories recently showed that standing for one's Christian principles and beliefs may well lead to the loss of livelihood. In the workplace, standing upon Christian principles could lead to discipline, loss of job and possible litigation. Our beliefs are offensive to many. All of this saddens me deeply. I feel the urgency to become bolder - to make clear to all with whom I come in contact that I am not ashamed of the Gospel!

We who profess Christ should not be surprised at the reaction of our society. We were warned by Jesus himself that we would be despised as he was. I draw strength and comfort in knowing that I may be unenlightened in the eyes of the world, yet I have within me the light of Christ. We may be considered intolerant haters by those who attempt to silence the word of God as they have for over two thousand years; however the word will not be silenced. If called upon to die for Christ, I know my last breath here will be my first with him in heaven. With all my heart I want those I love sharing my eternal lifetime in heaven.

I am only human and have hoped at times that God would ignore the prayer of an enthusiastic, immature child. My vow remains, though, and I cannot turn aside from it. I remain enthusiastic as I watch the blessings unfold before me that have come as a result of the choices I made - my godly husband, my sons and their beautiful families. I have seen my granddaughters blossom in the knowledge and love of Jesus. I have been blessed with family and friends who have looked beyond my peculiarities to love me as I am. I have been blessed with a home, a job and a faith community in which I am encouraged to become exactly what God has gifted me to be.

I am deeply humbled and grateful to God for my life and the opportunity to live for him. Yes - even to be a martyr for him if called upon to do so.

Sometimes It's Best To Shut Your Mouth

Busia and Dziadzia (grandma and grandpa in Polish), came to the United States as immigrants shortly after World War I. They worked very hard to raise their family and become acclimated to a society completely unlike the ones from which they traveled. They loved America and were thrilled that their children had the opportunities which they had suffered hardships for them to achieve.

My grandfather never did learn English very well, but that was not unusual. He was a quiet man who I recall appearing serious and quite grumpy at times. His smile was infrequent, but he did attempt to tease his grandchildren. I was very intimidated by his gruff manner, but when the smile broke through, the love in his eyes sparkled. There was something that thrilled my heart each week at our regular Sunday dinners when he led the family in prayer - in Polish. While I never understood the words, the sound of his voice, rich with respect , showed his faith. My grandmother, however, learned her own version of English. It was quite broken, but easily understood by all of us. She was devoted to her family and grandchildren. Because I was the first, I was most spoiled and remained close to her to the end of her life.

When my grandparents, my father and my aunt and uncles wanted to discuss us, they would change their language from English to Polish. Because none of the grandchildren had learned the language, we never knew what they were saying, therefore their secrets were never revealed. Occasionally we would hear a phrase that we latched on to and my father gladly translated for us. I proudly learned to say, "Merry Christmas!", "Give me a kiss." and other phrases. We even learned to sing happy birthday for my father's ninetieth birthday party, and I eagerly shared the song with my four granddaughters so they could wish their great-grandpa a wonderful day.

One of the things my family took joy in was playing games. My grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles often joined in a game of cards to finish the day. We cousins would play or watch the game, trying to learn the rules so we could join the group. During those times, my grandparents would lapse into Polish, as would some of their children, which made learning the game difficult, but it was fun to watch them enjoy family together.

Fast forward to my own family. When our two oldest sons were toddlers, I would tease them with a few of the phrases I had learned growing up. One of those, I believed, was to call them "little monkeys." That would be considered a most acceptable phrase by most people, but I said the word once when we visited my parents and my father reacted much stronger than I had anticipated. He raised his voice to ask, "Do you know what you just called your children?" I drew back in amazement as I told him what I thought I had said. "I called them little monkeys, didn't I?"

"No," he responded, "You just called your little boys... let's just say, I would not win mother-of-the year for my label of my sons." Mortified, I decided I would never, ever say anything I could not specifically translate myself. This has become a topic of humor in our family, but I still cringe at the thought I could have said this where my grandmother would hear it. You see, I learned the word from her! She said it a few times during the family card games and it was she who told me it meant "little monkey!"

Getting Old Is Not Fun!

One of the lasting memories I will have of my father is his expression of resignation each time something made him feel his age, or inability to do the things he wanted to do. He would say it in Polish, but since I have no idea how to spell it (and learned the hard way - a subject for another post - not to try speaking or spelling a language with which I am not familiar), I will simply translate it - "Getting Old Is Not Fun!" Unfortunately, with each passing year, I know exactly what that means.

I am one of those people who will begin to wash a load of laundry, think of another piece of clothing to add and go to the bedroom to pick it up. When I get to the bedroom, I realize I never made the bed, so I do that, then take the drinking glass from the bedside table to take it to the kitchen. When I'm in the kitchen, of course I need to make a cup of coffee. While I'm waiting for the coffee to brew, I make a side trip to the living room and find a piece of mail and take it to the desk where I see dust bunnies building a community, and decide to retrieve the duster from the laundry room where I find the load of laundry still waiting for the missing piece of clothing!

Most people over sixty would probably relate to my foibles, and we all chuckle at how silly we feel when such things happen. However, there are other things occurring now that are not nearly as easy to face. In the past year we lost my beautiful godmother and beloved father and my husband has lost a precious sister. These were blows that made us all the more aware of our own mortality. We have been placed face to face with how we will finish our lives.

Ron is now "retired," which for a minister is never really complete. He keeps his life busy in many ways by volunteering at the emergency room in our local hospital, teaching a driving course for those over fifty-five, guest preaching and teaching, and shuttling cars for a local dealership. He finds ways every day to show the deep faith he has as well as his love for others. I still work full time, but wish I were retired. I, too, try to show each day how important my faith, and share it in various ways. We have both become well aware that we may not have many years left on this earth. The question is, how will we fill those years in the way God wants for us?

I want to see all of my family and friends (past, present, and future)  assured of where they will be for eternity. I don't want to leave this earth with the knowledge that I may never see some of them again because they have not taken the simple act of accepting the forgiveness they have been offered through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The responsibility of carrying Christ to our world is awesome.

As we age, we all have aches and pains, worries and cares that keep us from focusing on what is most important. Our society attempts to defy aging in the attempt to keep mortality at bay. We wonder whether we will be able to afford our increasingly abundant medications and medical treatments. As we age, we begin to think of the possibility that we will lose our mobility, our mental acuity, and become more dependent upon others to assist us. We may need to give up our drivers' licences, our finances and our health decisions to someone else as we become less able to do things for ourselves. We are becoming vulnerable and we don't like it.

I am very grateful that we live in a comfortable home, still have a stable income and can still care for ourselves and our chores. I am grateful that we have a strong family relationship with our sons and their families, our brothers and sisters. We continue to trust that our lives will be fulfilled and fulfilling to others as we go day to day. Nope, growing old is not fun; but it is necessary. The alternatives are not acceptable. Another thing I remember about my father...

"Well, I'm up, I'm taking refreshment... what more can I ask?"