Celebrating 50 years of Marriage
Today I celebrate a very special day. This day happened 50 years ago, November 28th 1970 and without this day I would have never been. Before the culmination of this day were a multitude of events that could have ended in various ways many of which would have altered the course of the future in unimaginable ways. Today is the 50th Anniversary of the day my parents, Marty and Donna Fries, said “I do!”.
Rewind back a few years before the wedding and my parents both happened to visit “The Tiger’s Tale” club in Long Island, NY. My father and his friends went looking to have a good time. My mother, newly single, also happened to go there that night and she must have looked stunning because many of my Father’s friends were pining for her. My Father’s close friend said “Why don’t you take so-and-son and I’ll take Donna.” My Father quickly replied “I’ve got a better idea Why don’t you take so-and-so and I’LL take Donna.” See, without this snap decision, I would NEVER HAVE BEEN BORN!
History could have also been greatly altered on the event of my parent’s first date. My Father, a Brooklynite, traveled to Hicksville, NY to go on a first date with my Mother. He had forgotten to take the note on which he wrote her address and before long he was hopelessly searching the streets of Hicksville to find her house. After repeated failed attempts my Father went to a payphone and called his Father, asking him to find this slip of paper with my Mother’s Contact information. My grandfather said he couldn’t find it and he commented to my Father “Marty, read the handwriting on the wall and come home and play cards with your Uncle and I”. My Father, determined to find Donna, struck out once again into the night in one last effort to find Donna. He finally turned down the right street and saw her car in the driveway. He arrived at her door 3 hours later than the agreed time. My mother, though perturbed by this, agreed to carry on with the Date and the rest is history as they say.
This anniversary is not only a testament to their love and commitment towards each other; for me it solidifies my Hope in Love itself. With marriages failing all around us, we wonder whether this institution has the legs to stand in the coming centuries. My parents are for me a template for how to succeed in a marriage but how to persevere when things aren’t going well. So join me in wishing my Mother and Father a Happy 50th Wedding Anniversary! God Bless you both and I hope your day is as Happy as the day you first said “I do.” Please enjoy the various media I created to celebrate this event, including the gallery of photos below.
