Celebrating 50 years of love

This weekend we went to Massachusetts to celebrate my Aunt Mary and Uncle Bob's 50th wedding anniversary! What a monumental ocassion to share with our family.

On August 1, 1959, Mary O'Connor and Bob DeMattio were married at St. Ambrose Church in Detroit, Michigan. Fifty years later, we celebrated that special day in their lives and honored their deep commitment to love and marriage. There were about 30 of us who shared the day with them - all family.

The day was filled with joy beginning with a mass in which they were honored. Then it was on to brunch at their house. Then most of the family went to Kate and Tim's beautiful home on the water in Weymouth. We had a fabulous lunch and a gorgeous view to enjoy. Then the crew went to Patty and Chris' beautiful home in Topsfield. Mary and Bob's children and their spouses hosted the incredible party. A great deal of planning and preparation went in to making the day extremely special and Kate, Tim, Patty, Chris, Mike and Heatherly certainly succeeded!

After dinner, several people offered stories about Mary and Bob from their younger years. Evyerone had different stories to share but the themes were the same: Mary and Bob have been an inspiration to all those whose lives they have touched. Their deep love and commitment to each other is evident to all those who they know and love.

I have always respected the O'Connor women, Mimi's daughters, Mary, Pat, Nora and my mom, for their commitment to love but also their strong independence. These are women who take vacations without their husbands, who play bridge and have other hobbies without their husbands, and who enjoy plays and movies without their husbands. But in the end, they love their husbands unconditionally and with strong commitment. I have always admired and respected this in my mom and aunts. I think these days this is probably more common place - girls get-away-weekends, girls nights out, etc. But when my aunts and mom were just married, this certainly must have been going against the grain of the norm. Mimi and grandpa John instilled a great deal of confidence in these women and, at the same time, must have been an inspriation to them of how to have a loving marriage!

What a fabulous weekend to be surrounded by family and unconditional love! While we all wish we could see each other more often and live closer to one another, we all recognize that when we do get together, it's as if no time has passed. And we cherish every minute of that time together.

Congratulations to Aunt Mary and Uncle Bob - may your lives continue to be blessed with the love and support of your dear family!