V-Day tribute to Mom and Dad-This is Devotion

Valentine's Day...
Today I am not thinking of hyped up symbols of romance in the guise of overpriced roses, jewelry, or dinners. This Valentine's Day, I am thinking of my parents...Felix and Virginia Soto.

For 48 years...they were devoted to each other. Good times, hard times....alone and raising kids...angry and loving...in sickness and in health...they stayed by each other's sides for 48 years. They didn't quit, they didn't throw it away when things got hard or the money was scarce...they toughed it out, together.

Quiet and shy around strangers, my Dad was the perfect compliment to my friendly and gregarious Mom. In the comfort of their home, they verbally sparred with each other. Quick-witted and funny, they loved to laugh with each other. Dad worked hard to pay for their needs and comfort; Mom worked hard to get the most out of everything they had.

They worried about me and my happiness. When I brought Sean into their home, they were so happy. When I told them we were getting married, they were thrilled! My parents loved Sean and my Mom especially adored her new son-in-law. My Dad was glad there would be someone to look after me, the way he and Mom looked after each other. They saw that Sean and I teased each other they way they did. They were content that we were really 'devoted' to each other.

Mom's health declined; she had cancer and her heart disease was causing more problems. Never did Dad fail to take care of her. He rarely asked for someone to help him take care of her, because that was his place. He took over all the housework when she became too weak. He never complained that it was too much. He only told me, after one trip to the hospital-"I thought I lost her." When I got the phone call on October 19, 2012, that's all he could say. "She's gone. We lost her." He was lost. I'd never seen my Dad look so devastated and small. Without Mom, he didn't know what to say to people. She was more than his wife of 48 years...she was his partner, his friend, his companion...his reason for living.
Five months later to the day, on March 19, 2013, my Dad  left this world to join Mom in the next. "Till Death Us Do Part..." only meant a short time...for he could not be here without her for very long...she called him to join her and he was ready...

Now I look forward to the future with my husband...my beloved, Sean. He is my partner, my companion, my best friend. Life tests our vows as they did my parents....in sickness or in health...richer or poorer...till Death Do Us Part. I learned a lot about marriage and devotion from my parents. My marriage is a happy one...not perfect...and that's okay. We love and are devoted to each other...as it should be.

I have my parent's wedding rings. Looking at them is a reminder to me of what it takes to keep a marriage happy and healthy. I see their rings and know the full measure of the commitment I made to Sean. We will show each other love, affection and devotion EVERY day...not just Valentine's Day. No matter who else is around us or not, we lean on each other and hold hands as we walk together. I am blessed not just for my darling hubby, but for the parents who showed me by their example, how very fortunate I am to have found that kind of love in my own life. I hope that you are also blessed to have love in your own life...