HAPPY BELATED 38TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!

the flowers and candy are there.
Paul & Jacque  
================

hi paul and jacque -

thank you very much for those kind thoughts and words.  i feel like our
marriage has been a story book from the beginning.  

it was happy days.  we met in high school, taking the same class
together,  and became those happy day kids that you might see on tv.  we
would go out to the drive-in and get a hamburger and fries.  her father
was american indian and didn't believe that a man should see the girl
he's courting more than 3 times a week.  i was there every day.  he
never said a word to me about his upbringing on that and was one of the
gentlest men i've ever known.  
 
then the war came - oops - that's right - they said that wasn't a war,
but a policing action.  was going to be drafted, but joined the navy.
we had gone together for over 4 years then.  my parents were against my
getting married  -  so we eloped after i got out of boot camp.  figured
if i was old enough to die for my country, then i should be old enough
to get married.  called my parents as i was passing through vegas and
told them what i had done.  never to come home for two years after that.
we started a new life - together - with 64.29 cents, and living in
california.  boy, you thought the odds of making it in vegas was high.

got to spend 48 days with my wife the first year i was married.  the
navy felt that i was more important to them, instead of her.  their
comment, "hell, son, if we wanted you to have a wife, there would be one
issued in the sea bag."

it was our first anniversary, and i had duty that day.  after the
evening meal, i did manage to sneak off to be with her for about an hour
and damn, if they didn't hold a surprise muster and i got caught!!!
pulled EMI (extra military instruction) for that one, but it was worth
it!!!

the day before our 10th anniversary, i asked her, "you know what
tomorrow is?"  she say, "yes, it's our 10th anniversary."  
the day after our 10th anniversary, i asked her, "do you know what
yesterday was?"
we BOTH had forgot our 10th anniversary..........and we both had a good
laugh........   boy, i haven't heard of many people who could laugh
about missing an anniversary.

she kept the wedding rings on her finger and NEVER took them off.  she
weighed 95lbs when we got married, but after 3 sons and nature taking
it's course to allow for expansion,  it was on her third back surgery
that they physically cut her rings off because of IV's that were hooked
up to her and the cortisone shots that had caused her to swell and they
were afraid the rings were restrict the flow in her finger.  they gave
them to me in a little plastic bag to keep.

as our 25th anniversary was near, we were so broke from the car accident
that happened the year before - which wasn't even our fault, that i had
to mortgage our home, our businesses, everything,  to pay for the
medical bills, which i did get back plus some when we settled two years
later.  but in the meantime, i did some trading for a brand new wedding
set and had them sized for her and gave them to her, which she wears
today.  she said, when i gave them to her, that they are not coming off
again - and they haven't even through the heart surgeries. and she
doesn't want another set.  said these rings are very special to her.  

oh yes, the heart surgeries.....for those who have seen my posts when i
write about her and her condition know what i'm talking about.  for
those who hadn't.  she's been through it all.  two heart attacks, open
heart surgery, triple bypass, triple angieplasty, just to name a few of
the major events and that is just in the past two years and half years.  

the 36th anniversary was very special. because her death date was nov.
2nd, 2001.  that is the date she was suppose to have died, but i got her
to the hospital one hour before the big one hit and she was full of clot
buster when it hit.  if it wasn't for that one thing, it would have been
over.  so, you see, we wouldn't have had our 36th anniversary.

but when i got the bad news of my cancers, prostate and skin, she was
there by my side.   it had just been 2 months after her last
angieplasty, and she said she wanted me around - didn't care what
treatment, but didn't want the cancer to get me.  and i got the RP done
on 4-15-03.  so when our anniversary came around for the big three
seven,  it was another major event for us.  

which brings us to the super big 38th last week.  now, our sons are even
wishing us happy anniversary and getting us cards.

i don't know how it is with other husbands and wives when it comes to
their anniversaries, but ours has turned from what use to be a routine
event that just happens - like thanksgiving to a special event - like
when someone hits a 100.  

i know that one of these days in the not so distant future that our
paths are going to separate because of the health issues, but as we have
said here so often about life, and when compared to a roller coaster
ride that is slowing down at the end of run - it was a good life and a
wonderful ride.  

again thank you for the wishes.  i really do appreciate them and hope
this trip down memory lane was as enjoyable for you as it was for me.
sorry to be so long winded.

~ curtis

knowledge is power - growing old is mandatory - growing wise is optional    
"Many more men die with prostate cancer than of it. Growing old is
invariably fatal. Prostate cancer is only sometimes so."