14 February 2012

32nd Anniversary

In September 1979, a Texan serving an LDS Mission walked into the Echo LDS Chapel in Fresno, California and saw this gorgeous brunette. She had this glow about her and he thought she was beautiful. He also thought he had no chance with her because he assumed she was married to the man standing next to her, who was actually her older brother. Her mother, who had been feeding him upon occasion, and her younger brother, who had been spending time with the Texan teaching people about Christ, introduced the Texan to this glowing woman. She was not married and had just moved back to California from Vidor, TX where she had been living with her older brother and his family.

The Texan was from the Galveston area which isn't too far from Vidor, so her mother thought that he might know some people her daughter knew. It turns out that they did. They spent some time talking and she learned that he was going back to Texas in 2 weeks. This is where the story divides. She says that he gave her his personal card with his home address and asked her to write him. He said that she asked him for his address and said she would write him. Whatever really happened at that moment, he went back to Texas City, TX and a letter was eventually sent.

Back and forth through the United States Postal Service letters were exchanged. Every once in awhile a long distance phone call would be made where they would talk for several hours at a time. By January 1980 things had gotten pretty serious. Her mother had decided to sell her home in California and move to Orem, UT. The Texan saw an opportunity to see the girl again. He volunteered to fly up to Utah and help them unload the moving truck. He had been working as a pipe fitter with the local union and almost emptied his bank account to buy a one-way ticket to Salt Lake City.

The first week of February 1980, the Texan flew from Houston to Salt Lake City. When she met him at the airport his hair was dark brown and she thought she had been writing to the wrong guy. When they met his hair was bleached blond from being out in the California sun all summer long. But, she mustered up some courage and walked over to him. The drive from the airport south to Orem was treacherous. The weather was so bad they had to drive with the windows down, their heads out of the car watching the yellow line on the side of the highway to make sure they stayed on the road. Needless to say a normally 45 minute trip took over 2 hours.

The next day, they went with her mother to the bank. They stayed in the car to talk, while her mother went inside. Sitting in the parking lot, he asked her to be his wife. She said yes and they shared their first kiss. Then he asked her out on their first date. They eventually went to see a movie.

As they were discussing wedding plans, he asked her when she wanted to get married, thinking she needed some time to plan. She said, "How about a week from Thursday?" It was Tuesday. He didn't see anything wrong with that. They got a marriage license, talked to the appropriate ecclesiastic leaders, and set a time to be wed. Some close friends and her siblings were called and told to get to Utah on a specific date. Arrangements were made, people traveled, and the day dawned.

Family and friends arrived at the Salt Lake City LDS Temple on a rainy Thursday to witness a Texan and a California Swedie make covenants before God to spend eternity with one another. I'm sure it was a beautiful thing and many tears of joy were shed. When they walked out of the temple as man and wife, her younger sister turned to her and asked, "Did you know today was Valentine's Day?" She laughed and responded that she hadn't! She just knew she wanted to marry him when he asked and didn't see why they needed to wait.

They drove south to Manti, Utah for their honeymoon. It's a really small town and they got there so late and were starving! The only place that was open was the local bowling alley. They went inside and had something to eat. And that was the first day of the biggest adventure of their lives. Then they had to call his parents in Texas and tell them they were married. Their children have been forbidden to elope because of the pain they caused his parents for not allowing them the opportunity to be a part of that beautiful day.

They went through hard and good times; worked 2 jobs while going to college; had 6 amazing children; moved 8 times; made decisions about jobs; almost moved to Singapore; laughed, cried, fought and loved. They had 26 wonderful years together before he quietly passed away in the living room of their home March of 2006, after losing the 6 year fight with Hepatitis C. One of the last things he ever said was that she became more beautiful to him every day and that he couldn't have become the man he was without her.

My parents' love story is unique. They became really good friends through their letters and phone conversations. How many people can say they got engaged before they ever went on a date? The natural progression of their mutual respect for one another led to love. They knew that they wanted to spend eternity together and had enough courage to act on faith. I have been blessed my whole life because of that decision.

They openly expressed their love for one another. They grossed us out as kids by kissing. Daddy would come home from work and dance Mom around the kitchen when she was trying to cook. They had date night every Friday night. Daddy would call Mom in the middle of the day when he was at work and sing the Stevie Wonder song "I Just Called To Say I Love You." They stayed up watching TV together after putting us kids to bed at 8 PM.

But my favorite thing, the one that sticks out the most, was that he would lean in close to my mom and whisper in her ear, loudly, "Sweet nothings, sweet nothings, sweet nothings." Mom would laugh and they would look in each other's eyes and the love they had for each other was visible and tangible. I knew that everything was right in my world because my mommy and daddy loved each other. And because they loved each other, I knew that they loved me.

Happy 32nd Anniversary, Bill and Cathy. 

You taught me what love looks like and that the "Sweet Nothings" are important.

Bill & Cathy
14 February 1980
Salt Lake City, UT
1st Family Photo
Bill, Cathy & Me
Texas City, TX
1981
All The Original Gang
Fresno, CA
December 1994
A Bit Older
Texas City, TX
Summer 2000
This was less than 6 months before Dad was diagnosed with Hepatitis C.
The Last Family Picture w/Dad
Houston, TX
March 2004
Daddy died 2 years & a day after this photo was taken.
He was in liver failure and worked closely with doctors at Methodist Hospital in Houston, TX and
 Baylor School of Medicine in 2 research trials to find a way to fight the Hepatitis C Virus in patients who had undergone liver transplants. They prolonged his life by 4 years through their efforts but his body could only handle so much and his kidneys eventually stopped working. On 21 March 2006, he waited until we were all back home for the night, laughing and enjoying one another's company, and then quietly crossed through the veil we call death.

2 comments:

  1. Sniff! Sniff! What a good story! I need a hankie!

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  2. Amazing story! I had never heard it before. It's good that you wrote it down for family history. Perfect Valentine's Day story. Thanks for sharing!

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