50 years of Marriage, Oh My!

Fifty years of marriage, HALF A CENTURY. . . Can you even imagine being married to the same person that long?  Or better yet, loving the same person that long?  In two short days, on July 1, 2010, my parents, aka "The Bickersons," will have realized this unimaginable, practically unattainable goal.

When The Bickersons first met in high school, I bet they never even imagined getting married.  Oh, I'm sure Mrs. Bickerson was like every other young, love-struck girl, who writes her name using his last name, and I'm sure Mr. Bickerson played it cool like guys usually do, when, in fact, he was probably head over heels for Mrs. Bickerson.  But whatever games they may have played, each of them knew this was the one, the one relationship that would last a lifetime. 

Over the past few weeks, Mr. Bickerson and I have been going through all the family photos, and it's been so much fun learning about The Bickersons' lives.  They truly had a lot in common: they each loved to dance, they both had great fashion sense (especially in the 1950's), they adored animals and had lots of pets throughout their lives, and they LOVED cars.   To coincide with our stroll down memory lane, Mr. Bickerson also taught me how to scan old photos, which is how this story came to life.   

A Couple that Plays Together, 
 Stays Together. . .  for 50 Years!

 The Bickersons, my Mom and Dad, circa 1960 at 
the Porsche Time Trials.  Such a cute, stylish couple.

Mr. Bickerson, my Dad, the official timer.  
Hate to say it, Dad, but with the cig hanging 
out of your mouth, it's hard for me 
to believe the "official" part.
Maybe Mom fell for that story, but not me.

Mrs. Bickerson, my Mom, behind the wheel.  
Feisty little thing!
Now I know where I get my love for cars.  
Cool helmet and shades, Mom.

And . . .

The Big Day - July 1, 1960
I love how my Mom's so casual with her arm 
draped over my Dad's shoulder.

Mom and Dad,

I'm so thankful for the time we've had together.  You have taught me a lot about true commitment, and the importance of being your spouse's best friend.  (And I finally got it right.)  Enjoy your day, and please know that if I could have July 1 changed to "The Bickersons' Day," I would.  

PS - I know tradition states that "Gold" is the gift for a 50th Wedding Anniversary, but I think in contemporary times, the gift is a Blog . . . and dinner, of course.  See ya at 6:30.

Love,

Me