A Legacy of 57 Years

September 7, 1952

The Silver Chalice by Thomas B. Cortain tops the New York Times Best Sellers List

Maureen Connolly beat Doris Hart to win the US Tennis Open Championship 6/3; 7/5

General Naguid forms the Egyptian Government and becomes Premier

Eddie Bracken is the "Mystery Guest" on What's My Line

and

General Ray and Martha Joyce elope to Wallhalla, SC to get married.

GR and MJ have known each other since they were children. He the Big Man on Campus in High School, leader on the football field and Golden Gloves Champion Boxer. She the all-American beauty, popular, cheerleader.

While in High School they became sweethearts. Their romance followed them to college where they both majored in education. After graduation they became teachers.

Over Labor Day weekend in 1952, GR and MJ got married.

Tomorrow marks the 57th wedding anniversary of GR and MJ or as I like to call them, mama and daddy.

57 years is a long time, obviously.

Mama and daddy have been through a lot in their married life, it hasn't always been good, some of it has been horrible, but for the most part they have weathered the storms together and come out the other side better for it.

57 years provides a lot of time for adventure. Mama and daddy have traveled across America in a motor home. Driven to Alaska, cruised the Caribbean, attended most every Football Bowl Game you can imagine, attended Olympic Games, World Series and as daddy likes to proclaim visited every Wal-Mart ever opened.

But most of all, 57 years provides for mundane day to day life where examples are made, shown and lived.

Our family was very typical, a morning rush to get everyone out the door, after school activities that kept mama running from one end of town to the other, home at night and then starting all over again the next day.

We had some basic rules growing up, yes ma'am, no ma'am, yes sir and no sir. Dishes were to be taken to the kitchen after all meals and an "I enjoyed it" was expected whether you enjoyed it or not. (But we always DID enjoy it.)

When six o'clock came everyone was expected to be around the supper table.

We were pretty typical. Mama and daddy were pretty typical as well, we just lived our lives each day moving through life as best we could.

Life wasn't always a bed of roses, mama and daddy could, and still do, argue with the best of them. When it was time for a disagreement you just wanted to stay away. In our house nothing was ever thrown and voices were only raised for an explosive few minutes, but the silence would last for days.

Those days of silence were horrible, whenever mama and daddy weren't talking it was miserable to live in our split level ranch on Old Buncomb Road. And good Lord help us all when Daddy started calling mama "Martha Joyce" or mama referred to him as "Your Daddy." Uh-oh this one is gonna last a while!

Inevitably mama and daddy would get over it. Back to normal as quickly as the original argument had flared up and things would return to our typical American life.

Mama and daddy both chose teaching as their profession, a more perfect career could not have been assigned to them. As much as they taught in the classroom, they taught in life and the examples they provided.

For my brothers and I, mama and daddy provided lessons of humility. Both of my parents knew they were looked upon by the community with respect and honor. Throughout their adult lives, they have been humble in knowing the life changes they have made for so many, and shown humility in accepting that one person can make a difference without ever drawing attention to themselves.

Mama and daddy have taught us about perseverance. Life isn't always easy, it is often more difficult that you can possibly imagine, but through perseverance you move through the challenges of life and come out the other side with a renewed understanding of the importance of family, friends and community.

We learned about faith from mama and daddy. Faith has gotten us through a lot, mama and daddy taught us at an early age that we are given a great gift from God and that it is our duty to honor that gift through faithfulness in him.

Mama and daddy taught us the importance of family. We learned that when all else seemed to fail us, family would be there. Through good times, bad times, indifferent time, everyday time, mama and daddy stressed family. We are not, and have never been, a perfect family, but together we are more than we could ever be individually, I thank mama and daddy for instilling that truth in us.

Back in 2002 mama and daddy were preparing to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. This was going to be a big deal for the entire family and Sam and I were determined to make it special for them. Twenty five years earlier we had thrown a covered dish dinner with friends at the Ramey gazebo and I still remember how proud they were on that day to be recognized.

For the 50th Anniversary, Sam and I began planning months ahead of time. Sam had money and I had talent, the perfect combination! It was decided that he would pay for it and I would plan it.

The day of mama and daddy's anniversary party finally arrived. After months of planning the day was perfect. Friends and family from everywhere showed up. The day brought together people I hadn't seen in years, family who hadn't been together in ages were reunited and stories, laughter and some tears filled the day.

Sam and I presented mama and daddy with a portrait of their wedding day as their gift. A large framed photo of them in their youth, before the hands of time had greyed and wrinkled them, a time when anything was possible and when their legacy has yet to be envisioned.

Today that portrait hangs in the dining room of their house. Next to the table where we were taught the lessons of life, taught about faith, humility, perseverance and family. It is comforting to look at that photo, of a young couple starting out on their adventures of life together.

The twinkle in that young couples eyes may not be as bright and their steps may have slowed, but I am confident that young bride and groom would be pretty proud if they had any idea what their legacy would have been 57 years later.

57 years....great books, tennis champs, movie stars, and governments being formed. Or 57 years, a legacy of humility, perseverance, faith and family..... I'll take the latter any day.

Happy Anniversary mama and daddy and thank you for the legacy you have created for us all!