Rant #2,067: Happy and Me

With the moronic government shutdown in its third day, one thing is not shutting down anytime soon.

And that is the marriage of my mother and my father.

That is a pretty bad segueway, but that is the truth.

My parents celebrate their 62nd anniversary today, and two people were not meant for each other as much as my mother and father were and continue to be.

They are complete opposites, and they have proven time and time again that opposites attract.

My mother is on the go all the time, like a cannon ball exploding out of a cannon. She cannot stay still for very long, because then she gets antsy, and has to do something.

My mother is perpetual motion.

My father can sit still for long periods of time. He is very content, in retirement, to just while away the days.

He is perpetual idleness.

Or at least he could be, but my mother does not let him sit still for very long.

Since she is always on the go, he is too, but he kind of follows her lead.

This is the way it has always been with them, and it will probably continue to many years in the future.

They are the perfect pair, and how my sister and I got so lucky to have parents like this is beyond me.

We certainly inherited many of their traits, and speaking for myself, I am the perfect amalgam of the two of them.

I can sit still for hours at a time, but after a while, I feel I have to do something to get myself going.

My parents are not just parents, but they are grandparents to five kids, four grandsons and one granddaughter. They are always there for the grandkids, and are very involved in their lives.

And they also oversee our entire family, which includes the spouses of myself and my sister.

It is a relatively small family, but my parents do a good job at making sure that all the parts are in good order, whether it is taking my son to work, listening to everything all of us have to say, or enjoying a night out with us.

On Saturday night, my family took out my parents for dinner, and my sister will be doing the same in the coming days.

We had a fun night, the food was good, and the company was even better.

My parents are both 86, and my mother turns 87 in March. My father follows her in November.

I don't think they look their age, and you would never know, just by looking at them, that they are their age.

Sure, they have their aches and pains here and there, but thank God they are relatively healthy for their age.

There truly is no stopping this real-life dynamic duo, that makes me very happy.

And finally, I would be remiss if I did not give a shout out to my father in law, who turned 86 this weekend.

Theirs was a different generation than ours, a generation that did not have everything handed to them, and they had to work hard to achieve their goals and provide for their families.

They may be among the last of their breed, but they don't appear to be going anywhere anytime soon, and we can all be thankful for that.

So congratulations to them all, and many happy returns.

I just wish that I could be as vibrant as they are if I am lucky enough to reach their age.

They are really something else!