June 14, 1969

I am not one for remembering people's anniversaries. I have trouble enough remembering birthdays as it is. There is on anniversary that I never forget though. It is permanently embedded in my psyche. June 14, 1969. This is the date that my parents Sam and Donna were married. This year would have marked their 38th wedding anniversary. That is a very long time.

My experience as a kid from divorce has been bittersweet. I am happy that my parents have both found love and compatibility in their lives with other partners now. As an adult, I can understand why things didn't work out between them. They have been separated for so many years now that things have shifted and new roles and dynamics have been defined.

The inner child in me never yearned for them to reunite. I just longed for them to get along and like eachother again. I am so happy to say that my parents have given my sister and I the greatest gift. They are friends again and that has given me so much peace.

Sam and Donna grew up together and their relationship begun at a very young age. They married when they were 19 years old!! They enjoyed many, many years with a wonderful group of friends and they were a very sociable couple- going to parties, dances, barbeques and trips. Carrie and I grew up with lots of people around us, much laughter and love.

I feel sad that we all had to experience the pain and loss of our family unit but time heals all things.

There is some kind of comfort knowing my parents share such a long history together as adolescents, young adults and now grandparents. I can always count on them sharing funny stories of days gone by that they shared together.

They gave us life. They give us love. Thank you my dear parents. So every year, when this day arrives, I still kind of celebrate them and whisper Happy Anniversary to myself.

daddy

I stepped back from packing the car up because something caught my attention. It was a beautiful glimpse of a daddy and baby boy sitting under an umbrella on our favourite beach, the sun starting to set, the breeze catching their hair. A perfect glimpse into the simplicity and genuine love they have for one another. This father and son. My husband is trying to feed our baby his bottle before we embark on a long journey home. All of a sudden, his shoulders begin to bounce up and down as he laughs at the antics of our baby whose latest fascination is to chew with his new teeth on the bottle's nipple and then spit out the milk that happens to get in the way of his fun!

This year has really been quite an eye opener. Despite the understandable "back burner" our relationship has had to take since the birth of our son, we continue to refine our relationship as parents and partners to eachother. It hasn't all been rosey. How much fun would life really be if it were all smooth sailing? You have to be able to experience difficulties, frustrations and growth in order to fully appreciate progress and evolution.

My husband once told me he didn't envision his life with children in it because he had thought it was too late for him, being 40 and all. Big deal. Now when I revisit that statement with him, he smiles and laughs at where our paths have taken us. We both cannot fathom what we would be without this baby. People change. People grow. People challenge their fears and suddenly realize, life really is wonderful if you let it be so.

I love this baby's Daddy. He makes my cheeks hurt sometimes because I can't smile enough when I am in his presence.