March 3rd
1894-July 11th 1987
In loving memory. Greatly missed husband,
father and grandfather
I was missed when I was there. I don’t know if they cared
enough to miss me when I was gone.
There was no lacking in love in our household. I knew my
wife loved me. We fell in love when we were eleven and never parted. Yes, I
went off to war, fought in battles, came back scarred and damaged. She went off
to school, became a teacher and waited for me to come back. She worked and
saved and built a little nest and when I came back we married in a simple,
quiet ceremony. It was the only beautiful moment we had.
Our life wasn’t touched by the crash. I worked in a
factory. She taught school. Her mother stayed at home and took care of the
children. We always had food. We always had a home. We were always prepared.
She didn’t want to work outside of the home when the children came, but we knew
they wouldn’t have a future if we didn’t both work.
I provided food on the table and a roof over our head and
she provided the future for our children. Our children went to school, but the
lessons didn’t end there. My beloved taught them to respect everyone, to save
money, to contribute to society through work and service. She was a teacher to
her core. I was the provider. I would go to work all day and show up right on
time for dinner. I would listen to the children tell stories about their day,
suffer through music lessons and attend school plays. I was the silent figure
omnipresent in their lives.
I would wait in the study during bath time and bed time.
I would hear the bed time songs and stories and the pattering of feet of one
more trip to the bathroom or the kitchen for one last drink of water. My heart
was full of love and pride, but I had never been taught the words to say as my
three little children grew into strong, independent, contributing members of
society. I was father, always there, always silent.
My beloved is resting here beside me. She came first, to
prepare the way they say. She was the better part of the two of us and it only
took six months to find my place beside her. My children put this stone up when
they placed her body here. I’m sure my side wouldn’t have been nearly as grand
if I had gone first. I’m sure there was a lot of discussion in my study about what
exactly to do about father now that mother was gone. It was done quietly and the
home the put me in was nice, if not perfect. I wish they had come to visit me more
than once or twice. I wanted to listen to their stories one more time.
I welcome the rest, if only because my beloved can rest here
beside me. A lifetime of togetherness. An eternity together.
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