A Boy, A Girl, I Can’t Help Falling In Love

July 4th is known as a red, white and blue day, but July 3rd is definitely a white, black, red and shiny diamond rhinestones day.

The beginnings were simple.

There was a girl in a yellow sweater and a gray skirt.

There was also a boy who wore a brown and white tweed sports coat, brown slacks, a white shirt and a plaid brown tie.

They both were attending an 8th grade dance.

She wore a white carnation. He wore a pink carnation. When they danced to Elvis Presley singing, “I Can’t Help Falling In Love With You,” his carnation tickled her nose.

It all started that day.

The young couple started dating.

The first movie that this boy and girl saw together was “Tammy And The Bachelor” with the theme song, “Tammy” and the song has some sweet, romantic lyrics that include:

“Does my lover feel what I feel
When he comes near?
My heart beats so joyfully
You’d think that he could hear.”

Fast forward to July 3, 1962.

She was wearing a short white dress with shiny diamond rhinestone straps and white shoes.

He wore a black suit with a red carnation.

They were both young, thin, and their hearts were beating joyfully.

Outside the Baptist church it was pouring rain, but inside my handsome, dapper grandfather walked down the aisle with my beautiful mother’s arm tucked sweetly through his arm towards my good-looking father. Pastor Cordrey was about to marry my parents.

When the wedding was over, everyone stood at the church door throwing rice which clumped into a ball and landed in my mother’s back as my parents ran to the car in the heavy rain storm.

Everyone met for the reception at my grandparents home. There was lots of smiles, bottles of Coke, a beautiful cake, and love, love and more love.

Because these two people loved each other, I was born. They gave me life and love…lots and lots of love.

I believe “their” song said it perfectly:

“Like a river flows surely to the sea
Darling, so it goes
Some things are meant to be.”

Yes, some things are meant to be.

My parents were so young when they got married and life eventually got in the way, but they both have always loved each other. I’m not just saying that because I’m a silly, romantic girl.

Mom has always told me how much she loved and still loves my father. No one ever has to doubt how much Dad loves my mother even though he isn’t here to profess it. Dad made sure no one would ever forget exactly how he feels about Mom. The service for Dad’s funeral was held in the same Baptist church where my parents were married. The Pastor read a letter that Dad had written for his funeral. It was a lovely, long letter. In it he said that the only woman he had ever really loved was my mother.

It’s so nice to know that I was the product of two people who really loved each other.

So today I just wanted to honor both of my parents on what would have been their 53rd wedding anniversary. That’s why July 3rd is a white, black, red and shiny diamond rhinestones day.

Thank you Mom and Dad for loving each other and loving me.