It has truly been heartwarming to read not only the entries in our Guest Book, but also all of the emails addressed to Gary and to me. You all are wonderful, and we do so appreciate your feedback. There is, however, one tiny thing I really do want to say now, as so many entries use the past tense for the love we “shared.” I just want you to know that Gary and I still (present tense) “share” the same love for one another, although it has matured and mellowed through the years. (I can now stand to be away from him for 3-4 days, but we don‘t sleep well when we are away from one another!) We still believe we can weather any storm, as long as we have each other. I can’t imagine life without my beloved, 38 years ago or now, and I know Gary feels the same. Believe me, we have weathered a lot of pain in the past 38 years, from our son, Reb Kalman, being hit by a hit and run car while he was on a bicycle in Brooklyn a year and a half ago, and almost dying (Miracles do happen!) to a massive coronary Gary had almost 2 years ago and almost died (Miracles do happen!) to being kicked out of my family by my 2 sisters after my last parent died 4 years ago, (So I made a new family from my friends – besides, it’s not up to me to judge. God does that when we die.), to Iraq with Kevin, to some heavy duty health problems and surgeries that I encountered, to 17 years in therapy for me for childhood abuse, etc. But the one constant in life for us is each other. After 38 years, I can honestly say I wouldn’t have done anything differently. We have 2 sons, 2 daughters-in-law, 2.9 grandchildren, and Sushi, our wonderful shelter dog who is a true Godsend, as both kids live on different coasts, and we live smack in the middle of the country. (I think she adopted us rather than the other way around.) We live in a wonderful community, have lots of friends and acquaintances, a new family of friends, a lovely house, and most of all, true love that just won’t fade, no matter what happens. I have a framed saying next to my front door that says it all: “Rich is not how much you have or where you are going or even what you are. Rich is who you have beside you.” It is attributed to “JIK-II.” By that definition, we are the richest people in the world!
I am truly blessed! Not too many married couples can say the above after so many years of marriage and after so many hardships and tragedies and near tragedies in their lives. God has been very, very good to us, and with His continued grace, we will continue to live out our lives together for a long, long time. As I told Karla (one of my daughters-in-law) before Kevin left for Iraq, “Make some good memories now and tuck them away, for you will need to pull them out of your memory more than once during the coming year. If you can survive this year, kids, you can survive anything that life throws at you.” And they have! God bless them, they have! I wrote in my wedding book when I was 19 that my husband was going half way around the world to protect the US from Communism, and that he is fighting a war so that our future children never will have to.” At 19, I was a little naïve, but I guess history does repeat itself and always will, because we never seem to learn. Gary was never the same after Nam, and neither was I, and I’m not too sure about Kevin after Iraq. But I do know this – Kevin’s love for Karla has sustained the test as my love for Gary has, one small perk. Thank you all again for your wonderful responses, and May God Bless!
Maxie
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