Sorry, Hallmark…My Parents Had the Best Love Story

My parents got married 42 years ago today. Wow, 42 years…can you believe that, friends?? To hear my mom tell the story, she and my dad exchanged vows on a warm summer evening, eager and excited to start their lives together. If you ask me, June 10th should be declared a national holiday because, honestly, we could all learn a lot from the love between my parents.

Their time together wasn’t nearly long enough, but their love story was more romantic than any Hallmark movie and more powerful than any ‘80s power ballad. They showed their love, not with big, sweeping romantic gestures like the ones you do see on those lovey-dovey Hallmark movies. Instead, you saw their love shine through in the everyday moments — those tiny pockets of reality that seem so mundane on the surface. Like when my dad rubbed my mom’s back every night. Like when my mom sat through every single Terminator movie even though that was the last thing she wanted to do.

These aren’t the sorts of moments you’d find in a rom-com, but then again, maybe that’s the entire point. Rom-coms are meant to be spectacular, but there’s just as much value and even more romance in living day-to-day with someone. Perhaps that’s even more special because you really get to know the person; I’ve never seen two people as bonded as my parents, two people who loved each other as if it was their wedding day every day.

That kind of love is rare — it’s not something you can plan or even force. If it’s there, it’s there. And for my mom and dad, it was there.

I’m so grateful they got to experience it every day they were together and I wish they could spend their twilight years together. They both deserved that. More than any other two people in the entire world. I’m so grateful that I got to see what true love looks like because it is real and beautiful. You won’t find that in any Hallmark script, will you??? xoxo