Anniversary Day

If you were with us in the waiting room on the night of January 28th you shared a very intense time of waiting as we prayed the rosary and sang "Behold". Some of the words are:

Behold, behold, the mighty one has done great things for me;
and Holy is Your Name, and Holy is Your Name
My soul exalts you, behold my Lord , whose mercy lies on me.

We had been so blessed all of our lives-- we shared a deep commitment to the Catholic faith, were delighted with three lovely daughters, our son-in-law had just joined the Catholic church in College Station the previous Easter, two healthy grandchildren . We had jobs , a home, friends, great neighbors, a loving church family and yes, we had each other. The Mighty One had, indeed done great things for us. I was thankful for each and every minute. In that thankfulness was a plea , a begging cry, to please please let all of this continue. I NEEDED Louie--oh how I needed him.

Louie and I often shared a conversation that might seem strange to some people and maybe even be prophetic to others. When we would discuss some problem or issue that currently needed attention or sometime when life just seemed tough, I would always end our discussions with "Please don't die" or "Promise me you won't die" - "I just couldn't handle things alone". This conversation was a regular ritual with us. Every time he would answer "I'm not going anywhere, I promise. I am not going to die." Many, many, times during the first week of this hospitalization I thought about those conversations. I was very much unprepared however when one day a few weeks after he woke up, he looked right at me and knowingly said "I didn't die". This was truly amazing!!! There were times after he first woke up that HE DIDN'T KNOW ME and he was very confused about his surroundings. What a gift to hear those words - "I didn't die"!!! Tears come to my eyes every time I think about that very special moment.

So what will we do on this very special 32nd wedding anniversary? First we will split a popsicle -- his first and a new allowable treat. We might toast medicine cups of Dr. Pepper (and Diet Dr. Pepper). With all certainty however, we will listen to the song "Behold" as we give thanks to a loving God who allowed Louie to keep his promise.

Love to All, Ruthie

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Message from Tracy:

If you within earshot last year on this day (and by earshot I mean even a phone call away), you would have heard plenty. On Mom and Dad's 31st wedding anniversary they were prepping for Hurricane Ike and planning to evacuate early the following morning. With mom looking for dad to help spare her "most favorite" 286 plants (just an estimation) , and dad not caring one bit about those plants worried more about the large tree limbs that could possibly crash through the house, Hurricane prep seemed almost detrimental to their marriage. Mom attempting to carefully bring down the ivy from her trellis and dad ready to cut it all off just so he could screw the boards into the brick to cover the windows (no hangers left). On one occasion I even remember mom saying "we're not going to live to see 32 years". At wits ends, one was ready to choke the other with the ivy. Who could really imagine them not really living to see 32 years?

It would be easy to think that an anniversary spent at Hermann Hospital (for the 226th day now) could go down as their worst anniversary yet. However, their popsicle and Dr. Pepper "date" has been set, and the spats of the past are behind them. No one cares about the heat of the hurricane, the time dad brought home "Snack Wells" as a gift (those are definitely NOT fine chocolates), or even the special occasions he might have forgotten. They are together and they made it to this 32nd anniversary. Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!