Celebrating 50 Years of Matrimony

Well, it has come and vanished like a wisp of wind with the freshness of Springtime. It was a week ago today, December 20th, 2008, that family and friends of my parents, Gene & Pat Palmer gathered in a community center in Tulsa, OK and celebrated 50 years of matrimony. An amazing item of particular noteworthiness was that their literal anniversary was the previous day, Friday December 19th, which was the day exactly 50 years ago they ran off and got married in Oklahoma City.

I could say so many things about my parents and the life they gave us. It could easily be the size of "War and Peace" but I will do my best to be as brief as possible.



It seems like just a few months ago, but it was after their 45th anniversay that I began contemplating their 50th anniversary. To this day, I am in wonder and awe of the legacy my parents are leaving their progeny of what it means to make a "covenant relationship" and live it out, day by day, until the very end. They have siblings that have been married 50 plus years, and Aunts & Uncles that have been married 60 plus years too. Therein lies a bedrock from which to draw; a stellar example of what it means to make a lifetime commitment.



My brothers are building upon the same bedrock as well. I have been watching from afar as they have celebrated 27 years and the other 7 years of matrimony. I am fully confident that they will reach their pinnacle of leaving a legacy of matrimonial commitment just as they step from their pinnacle into their eternal reward.



Although it was eleven months ago, it seems like just a few days ago that I sent out an email to my entire family to "save the date" for Mom & Dad's 50th anniversary celebration. As the time grew closer I would call my parents and ask them questions of what they wanted to do, where they wanted to have it, etc. As the date grew closer, I called them more frequently to check on how everything was progressing along.



Several months ago, I began wrestling with .... should I "say anything" at their party to those in attendance? As much as I would have loved to stand up in front of the crowd and "wax eloquent" proclaiming my love and admiration for my parents, trust me my dear friend, that would NOT have happened! You see, I am one who is related to Benn G. Palmer (my paternal grandfather). What he passed on to me was an ability for my voice to falter and break, and eyes that become moist when it comes to matters of "family". I could barely keep my composure when each of my parents were making remarks to those in attendance and they began saying things about me and what I mean to them. They mentioned the next day that they wished I would have said something; but they understood when I remarked "that's just it, I wouldn't have been able to say much of anything". So I must rely on stroke of pen and prose.



My older brother, Mike, stepped up to the plate and was our Master of Ceremonies and in spite of having challenges with his voice due to a cold did an outstaning job; just like I knew he would. Then our youngest brother Jay had put together an incredible montage of pictures set to music in a beautiful PowerPoint presentation honoring my parents and their 50 years.



To say it was a special day, would be an understatement. Truthfully, my words are inadequate to describe what that day meant and will continue to mean. It has been quite a journey, these last 50 years. Jobs, houses, babies, trips to G'ma & G'pa's house, vacations, graduations, funerals, weddings, the arrival of grandchildren and now....great grandchildren.



MOM and DAD-

Life is rich, pearls of wisdom come with experience. Leaving a legacy is no simple task. As I watch from a distant place, the life you live is making an eternal difference in the lives you touch. As I watch from a distant place I hear the words descending from the heavens "Well done, good and faithful servant, well done!"