* * Celebrating a milestone

Sixty years ago today, Doris Sara Tatarsky of Richmond, Virginia wed Robert Abraham of Hewlett, New York.

My father was attending Virginia Tech, VPI in those days.  His sister, Ginger, was a student at Richmond Professional Institute.  Both siblings decided to pursue their educational opportunities in Virginia rather than in their native New York.

My father’s sister’s roommate was Doris.  Ginger did the matchmaking.

My parents were married at a synagogue in Richmond on a sweltering July day.  My brother David was born three years later and I was born a year after that, one day after my parent’s anniversary.

This weekend just past, my parents, my father’s sister and her husband, my father’s half brother, my mother’s sister, all three of my siblings and their spouses and families spent the weekend together at the Wintergreen Resort. During the day, everyone seemed to be off in their own direction, either playing golf, tennis, or swimming.  Dad, my brother David, and I spent Saturday morning watching birds with a man who literally wrote the guidebook to the birds of Wintergreen.

On Saturday evening, all 21 of us posed for photographs before we had dinner together at one of Wintergreen’s restaurants. Dinner took forever to be served which caused the only major glitch of the weekend.  It was fun for everyone to be with the grandchildren and see how they have grown.  The ages range from 19 to 8.  Dad spoke emotionally about having a healthy family which he loves.  He told me later how happy he was for me that I was doing the type of work, writing, I'd always wanted to do.

It is quite remarkable that my parents have stayed together and been healthy and active for all these years.  Mom is still sharp mentally with all of her senses still working well.  Dad has tinnitus in his ear and does not hear as well as he once did.  But otherwise, he is active and childlike in his love of nature and photography.  Many of my contemporaries have already lost one or both parents.  In fact, many of my classmates themselves are no longer alive.  It is a blessing that my parents are still self-sufficient, healthy, and active.

This post was supposed to have a happy ending.  Unfortunately, I learned from my sister moments ago that dad had had fallen down half a flight of stairs this morning and had suffered a mild concussion and perhaps a broken collarbone.  What this accident portends is yet to play out.  Nevertheless, the memory of this joyous event will linger forever in the minds and hearts of all who participated.