To do anything in dowtown Detroit in 1969 you had to have two things: guts and optimism. Over the course of thirty-seven years my folks have drawn bucketfuls of both.
Two kids, one of them gay. Sixteen changes of address in eleven states. Three family car trips across North America. Temporary duty assignments, cramped base housing. School tuition, college tuition, lessons in tennis and oil painting. Long division lessons on the kitchen table. First Communions, Cub Scout camp. Inept moving companies, uniforms to iron, dinners to cook, an exploding Plymouth Scamp, Christmas on a shoestring, birthdays on a shoestring, Disneyland on a shoestring, nutty relatives, two senior proms, tomato soup on the kitchen ceiling. And the ever-present knowledge that no matter how comfortable we might be, the next day word might come from the Air Force that it was time to pack it all up.
Never once, never once, did I hear them complain. Never once did I feel poor. Never once did I worry about where the future would take us. With my parents in charge, my sister and I knew things would be fine.
They taught us to hit the ground running, to keep our chins up, and to watch our asses. They taught us guts and optimism, and they're still teaching us.
They were both shockingly young in 1969. Young enough that if the wedding were happening today, people would shake their heads and make bleak predictions.
Hah.
Ladies and gentlemen, my parents. A tribute to the power of guts and optimism.
Oh, and love.
Your entry is beautiful, Franklin. Thank you for helping me remember the power of guts, love and optimism.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary to the peeps!!
You made me tear up a bit. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary to them.
That's a lovely tribute to your parents. I hope they are as proud of you as you are of them. To bring up kids with love and understanding and a positive sense of self-worth is about the best thing parents can do.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful tribute, Franklin. They did a spectacular job of parenting.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary, Mr. and Mrs. Habit.
I really liked this entry. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteNow that is a blog entry to make yer parents proud. What a good son you are! Happy Anniversary, Mr. and Mrs. Habit.
ReplyDeleteFranklin you look like your Dad..I am praying the exploding thing was a car ? That sounds like a good life ,after all it's love that counts .Not at all sure 1969 was a good time to be in the military but you said nothing about a certain conflict so hope Dad avoided it .Happy Anniversary to your folks.
ReplyDeleteWhat a tribute and what a wonderful son. I hope my kids remember us like that with all that love. It is my anniversary today and I hope I last as long as your parents.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great tribute to your parents!
ReplyDeleteThe coincidences are a little scary, Franklin. My parents were married in 1969. Gay son and a daughter. 4 years on Minot AFB, followed by Mountain Home AFB and ending with the AFB near Roswell. We could have been in the same class had the postings worked out.
I can hardly type...hard to see through the tears. That damend Irish bladder of mine...located right behind my eyes.
ReplyDeleteThey raised a nice boy, that is plain to see.
What a lovely entry. And so familiar - It's good for me to remember every now and then how well my parents got through such a tough job as raising two kids on a tight budget.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary to the parents!
Happy anniversary wishes (a day or so late but still sincere) to Mr. & Mrs. Habit. You seem to have raised two lovely children. Thanks to you both for the sacrifices you made to serve our country. I wish you many more happy years together.
ReplyDeleteThat you came from good folks has been obvious for a while. Thanks for giving us details. You are right to be very proud of them. Please pass on to your parents my thanks for your presence in this world. They did very well.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations and best wishes to the Habits! We, of course, love them without having met them. Not the least because they raised such a talented, wonderful kid. [Insert Flintstones video here: Happy anniversa-ree....]
ReplyDeleteFrank (Franklin) Thanks you for remembering all the good and bad times we had over the years. We always seem to land on our feet know matter what was thrown our way. We were really lucky to have two great kids that never gave us any problems (maybe a few). It has been a wonderful 37 years and I hope that we will have many many more.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary to Mr. & Mrs. Habit! Lovely post, Franklin. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful tribute to your parents. You must be proud of them, I'm sure they are of you.
ReplyDeleteHappy Day to the 'rents, and thank you forthe lovely tribute.
ReplyDeleteMy FSM, they're married only one year longer than I! OMG!
Happy Anniversary to your parents. Surprising how similar things sound in this post...with the exception of one of us being gay (and the year of the marriage), it could have been my story.
ReplyDeleteMy parents were 17 and 19 when they got married in 1963. This last March, they celebrated 43 years together. They are my inspiration, my foundation, and my sanctuary.
Seeing that there are other parents out there with that same gift, that same inner strength to stick through the times when they'd have rather thrown their hands up...It's inspiring and uplifting.
Bless your parents for their fortitude and enduring tenacity. May they have many more love-filled years together.
Happy Anniversary to Mom & Dad.
ReplyDelete37 years is a long time and it sounds like they did it splendidly!
Being a "child of divorce" stories like this make me and the hubby KNOW that things can work out - we have the tenacity and stubborness and loads of Love!
ReplyDeleteThank you Mr. & Mrs Habit for setting a grand example!
What a sweet post. Your parents did a wonderful job with their children. It's nice to hear of happy people and happy children. Many Blessings to the both of them!
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary to your parents. My parents celebrated 37 years as well, on July 4.
ReplyDeleteThese examples of long, mutually respectful relationships are great models for the rest of us, and show that marriages are about the love, mutual support, and commitment between the two people involved, gay or straight.
Happy Anniversary to your parents! As yet one more child of divorce it's always nice and affirming to hear about marriages that work.
ReplyDeleteYou're a lucky son.
ReplyDeleteThat is SO. SWEET. Reading your Mom's comment made me tear up! Happy Anniversary to the parents, and thank you Franklin. It's a pleasure to read your blog daily.
ReplyDeleteIf I wasn't drugged right now I'd be crying. So sweet.
ReplyDeleteMy congratulations to your lovely parents. It's hard enough to be married; it's much harder to be in the military and married. Be very proud Mom and Dad Habit. You did it right.
ReplyDeleteHappy anniversary to Mr. and Mrs. Habit! Sounds like they live right.
ReplyDeleteHappy anniversary to Mr and Mrs Habit, and I wish you many years of loving companionship ahead.
ReplyDeleteSniffle. Happy anniversary, dear Habits. Great dress.
ReplyDeleteVERY nice posting, Franklin!
ReplyDeleteYour sister Sue also posted a lovely tribute on her blog.
I wish I had had parents like yours. But then again, parents like yours come along only once. You and Sue were and are and will be continually blessed by their guidance and ideals.
anne marie in philly
Happy Anniversary, Mr & Mrs Habit.
ReplyDeleteFranklin, that was beautiful.
Aww! My folks are still together, too, after over 40 years of marriage.
ReplyDeleteAnd unless you were born out of wedlock, you are a lot younger than I realized.
This is great writing (better than the Dolores stuff.)
ReplyDeleteHappy anniversary to your parents. They sound amazing.
Franklin, this was a wonderful post. Your blog has become one of my must-reads. Your parents gifted you not only with guts and optimism (and love) but also with the stimulation and encouragement of a lively intellect and sense of humor.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations to your parents. Your mother obviously has impeccable taste - I ADORE her dress (which is extremely hard to say about just all wedding dresses from 1969).
ReplyDeleteThat's a lovely tribute to your parents, Franklin. Once again, I'm so glad I found your blog. I was struck by the fact that your parents had financial problems. With all the money the U.S. spends on the military, why is it that we don't pay our servicemen and women enough to support their families? I've read that many people in the military are eligible for food stamps. Sad.
ReplyDeleteL'chaim! to your parents and their kids!
ReplyDeleteMy parental units were doing the same thing on this day oh those many years ago, except in DC and they were Navy.
A very happy anniversary to your parents. I was also married in 1969 to a service guy. It was a very good year for marriages, I guess. Ma and Pa Habit, you should be incredibly proud of your accomplishments--great marriage and great kids.
ReplyDeleteGod, 37 years. Where did that time go?
A very nice tribute. I like that you and Sue had "Then" & "Now" photos (or "Now" & "Then", as I read hers first). It'll be 38 years for my parents next month. It's scary to look at photos of my father back then and realize that I could (theoretically, had I started really young) have a child that age now.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice post! I love hearing about happy couples.
ReplyDeleteOh, and any chance you will put the cute little "it itches" cartoon on a shirt anytime soon?
Lovely loving and lovable... congratulations on their success in their marriage AND their very loving son...
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary to your parents! You wrote a beautiful tribute!
ReplyDeleteMy father is retired Navy, so I feel you on the poorness and the moving (I went to 3 schools for third grade).
Congratulations, to Mr. and Mrs. Habit. Lovely tribute to your parents.
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