Happy Anniversary from Tim

Mom and Dad,

I am very proud of you.  You’ve not only shown me how a good marriage should be, but of how to progress in life with a partner.  When I was growing up, I got daily examples of respect, kindness, honor, generosity, grace, and compassion.  I remember Dad coming home from work everyday and first greeting Mom with a kiss.  Just the other day I knew something was strange in my own house as I had been home from work for probably 15 minutes and hadn’t kissed Elizabeth yet. I have and still continue to learn from your examples.

I love how you’ve demonstrated how to be a team.  I knew you always had each other’s back.  Even though it was an infrequent occurrence, I remember that if I had upset Mom, I’d be sure to hear about it from Dad later.  I recently thought of you when I was having a talk with my boys (Stephen and Matthew).  In Management Speak it would probably be called a “Parental Opportunity for Excellence”.  I was telling them that one day in life they’ll probably have girlfriends, and if they really care about them, they’ll feel protective of them.  I said you won’t like it if anyone makes your girlfriend unhappy, and I’m telling you that Mom is my girlfriend so don’t make her unhappy. You always were boyfriend and girlfriend and continue to exhibit that youthful energy of love today.

I love how you keep your sense of humor with each other, and continue to be able to have a really great time in each other’s company.  The sounds of laughter often filled our house.  When Mom and Dad would entertain, I remember the howling sounds of “The grown ups” and wondering what could possibly be that funny?  You taught us the value of friendship and how to treat others with respect.  You always made sure others felt welcome in our house and often went out of your way to help friends and family alike.

As many of you know, both music and sports held a special place in our Taylor household growing up.  If you were lucky, you’d hear the beautiful sounds of my Mom playing the piano and singing.  Did you know that she used to set egg timers in an attempt to try to get me to sit down and practice piano as well?  Dad would wake up the house, and possibly the neighbors and the dead too, to the sounds of Ravel’s Bolero on a Sunday morning.  We knew that it was both time to rise and shine but also to start the day with passion!    We were avid sports fans.  We not only watched and attended most types of sports but played them as well. I learned how to balance hot coffee while driving because in the days before drink holders in the car, Mom and Dad would shuttle us to early weekend morning sports practices.  They were always there for us and always very supportive of our endeavors.

So, you’ve made it look easy, though I know it always hasn’t been.  You make a fifty year marriage look like a prize worth having and worth working for.  I’m proud of you, proud to be your son and look forward to doing my best to continue to look for ways to make you proud today and into the future.

Here’s to your perfect game!  Congratulations and I Love You.