What is your name : Carol Boyd

Who do you want the poem written for: For my parents, Jim and Julie Jochum

Why do you want the poem written: To read at their 50th Wedding Anniversary celebration

What are the key messages you would like to send: I have one sister and three brothers, and we want our parents to know how much we love and admire them and thank them for providing such a loving environment for us to grow up in. We were raised on a farm in rural Nebraska (the Midwest), where my father worked from sun-up to sun-down every day for the majority of his life. Before they married, my Mom was a "city" girl, and living on a farm was quite an adjustment for her. Through their daily lives, my parents have shown us the value of honesty, integrity, loyalty and hard work. Their personalities are quite different, she is a social butterfly, he is more of a loner...she loves to travel, he would prefer to say home...she volunteers and is involved in everything, he prefers to work around the house. But, they have always shared a love of sports, and since retirement, they play golf whenever they can. It is amazing to me that they have kept a great sense of humour after all these years together. Theirs is a true partnership that has withstood good times and bad, happy times and sad...and their faith in God has never wavered. They are truly an inspiration to us
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Do you have any funny, sad, happy, embarrassing or otherwise memorable moments that you would like to share: We lived in a 100-year-old farmhouse that had a plaster ceiling. One night, when we were all fast asleep, we heard what sounded like a bomb exploding in the house. As we made our way to the kitchen, we saw that the entire ceiling had come crashing down. It was definitely time to remodel! We spent a lot of time outdoors. Dad would take us all fishing, lining up all five kids on the bank with fishing poles (deadly weapons). We had great fun, but he spent his entire time untangling lines and baiting hooks. We also spent hours playing baseball and softball and tag and hide-and-seek. They also taught us to play indoor games: Cribbage (with my Dad), Monopoly (with the whole crew), and Tripoly (where we used my Mom's stash of real money).
Growing up, each child experienced some type of major accident. My Mom would stay calm and in control until we were at the hospital getting patched up...and then she would be overcome and pass out cold. My Dad taught us, at an early age, to operate farm equipment. We were his "farm hands". He had such patience with us and never lost his temper, even when my brother drove a tractor into the side of a building!
We lived in an area that was ripe for tornadoes. During the summer, the warning sirens would go off at least once a week. We were each given a shoebox to put under our beds, so if we had to run to the cellar, we could only take what was in the box with us. We went to the cellar once that I can recall and a tornado passed right over our house but we escaped with no damage. Growing things was initially a challenge for my Mom - like the time she wanted to grow a pumpkin to make a pie. We ended up with hundreds of pumpkins that ended up sitting and spoiling on the floor of my Father's farm equipment building.

Do you have any other comments or thoughts: My Dad has always been sold as a rock. He talks the talk and walks the walk. My Mom has more energy than all of us combined and she still sees the world through the eyes of child.

What style of poem would you prefer (happy, sad, romantic etc.): Happy and funny

Please choose which package you would prefer : Economy

Would you like a copy of the handwritten drafts: No

Do you have any last comments or thoughts: I'm sorry for the last-minute request, but we are celebrating my parents' anniversary next weekend, May 29th. Is it possible to see a first draft by Monday or Tuesday of next week and have a final poem by next Thursday before I leave? If this is not possible, please let me know.

A True PartnershipAllen Jesson

Hello, my wonderful parents, these words are just for you, because we're proud of who you are, and we're very proud of what you do. And we just wanted to say "we love you", but in truth, we didn't know where to start, so we thought we'd share a few feelings, and give you some words, straight from the heart. Firstly, we'd like to begin by looking skywards, and thanking those in the heavens above, because we know we've been blessed to have shared you, we know that we've been blessed with your love. We wanted to thank you for giving us such a loving environment, in truth, we'd like to thank you for everything you've ever done, because your love has been our light, our inspiration, in every way, you've been like our morning sun. Now, before you were married, Mom was a "city" girl, and that was a long way from a farm in the rural Midwest, but Dad worked from sun up to sun down to make it happen, and Mom, well, you've always taken care of the rest. Throughout your daily lives, you've shown us a lot, you've taught us about hard work, loyalty and integrity, and we know that honesty is also very important, so honestly, you've made our world's a great place to be. Now, your personalities are really quite different, Dad's more of a loner, Mom's the social butterfly, she loves to travel, Dad would rather stay home, but Mom sure knows how to make a pumpkin pie!! But you've both always shared a love of sports, and since retirement, you play golf whenever you can, and it's amazing that you've kept your great sense of humor, but I guess you've always had faith in God's greater plan. Because yours is a true partnership, one that has survived the roller-coaster ride, and we know we couldn't have chosen finer parents, we know we couldn't - even if we'd tried. And we've shared so many wonderful moments, in truth, there's just too many to individually list, just know that each and every one is precious, there's not one that we would have missed. We'll never forget the 100 year old plaster ceiling, that one night, decided to come crashing down, but we also lived in an area that was ripe for tornados, and I remember, only once, having to batten the hatches down. But that never stopped us spending a lot of time outdoors, and Dad would take us fishing, all five kids on the bank, he spent his entire time untangling and baiting hooks, but it was great fun (and we know who we've got to thank). We also spent hours playing baseball and softball, and let's not forget tag and hide and seek, you also taught us how to play Cribbage, Monopoly, and Tripoly, with Mom's real money, so to speak. Growing up, every child had a major accident, Mom would stay calm and in control, so we're told, but as soon as we'd get to the hospital to get patched up, well, then she'd be overcome and pass out cold. Dad taught us early how to operate farm equipment, he was always very patient with his "farm hands", he'd even let us drive tractors into the side of a building, and yet he'd still give us an ear that understands. Dad talks the talk and walks the walk, he has always been as solid as a rock, and Mom has more energy than all of us combined, probably because she's kept that child like clock. Because she still sees the world through the eyes of that child, but we think that's the greatest view of all, and because of you both, we all walk taller, personally speaking, I feel about ten feet tall. So, I think we'll finish by saying: "we love you", actually, we've never really said just how wonderful you are, but if our love for you were a distance, then it would be further than the furthest star. We also wanted to say: "Happy 50th Anniversary", I guess that's really what these words are for, here's to you, Mom and Dad, you're truly wonderful, and here's to your everlasting love, for evermore.

Copyright www.agiftofpoetry.co.uk 2008

Allen Jesson

Comments:

Thank you so much for the poem ? I love it! You really captured the essence of my parent?s relationship.