Thirty-seven (37) Years

A very happy anniversary to my mom and dad! They were married at the very young ages of 19 and 25 in our little Mexican village. It’s been a long—and at times, tough—struggle for them, but I know I look to them as an example of a happy marriage, and as an example of stupendous parents. IP and I will be looking for their words of wisdom and experience if we choose to take on parenthood, and I’m very grateful they said “I do” 37 years ago today for obvious reasons. As IP and I celebrate our first six months of marriage, I hope we’re as happy 36.5 years from now.

I really admire my parents: not only did they successfully raise four kids in an alien environment, but they fought against racism; crappy jobs such as, yep, picking fruit; losing their first child; and dealing with it all with little to no support from their families since they chose to try to make it in Michigan as opposed to California (where the majority of our family is). My father’s father left his mother when my dad was five, yet he refused to repeat the same patterns and is the best dad ever (I guess I might be biased). My mother married my father a shy, retiring teenager, but has come into her own as a working, outspoken and caring woman. I hope IP and I can face changes and challenges with the same poise and resourcefulness that my parents did. I think my parents remembered, for the most part, that they were on the same team. It’s been a philosophy for IP and me for ages, but I didn’t realize that my parents also followed that mantra. Now, as they look to selling our childhood home and retiring to Mexico, I hope that we kids have made them proud, and I hope that they can go to Mexico knowing that they did an absolutely fantastic job: they really set us up to make it in the real world, whether they know it or not.

And you know what? They’ve more than earned their retirement in Mexico (hopefully next to the beach, ‘cuz you know that nothing gets the kids down there faster than proximity to the Pacific!). After many years of effort, they’ve gotten to a point where they should just chillax, marinate in the shade. And even though they think we won’t, we’ll definitely join them to celebrate them and to chillax alongside them when we’re able.

So happy anniversary, Mom and Dad. May you have at least 37 more, and may you focus on the most important people involved in your next step: the two of you. We’ll be here, your kids forever, no matter what you choose to do next.