The First Time Ever.

We watched this week's episode of Glee last night (man, I love DVR) during dinner.  I loved it, and all the songs were just great (OK, "Summer Nights" was a little hokey, but, it's Grease; what do you expect?).  But the highlight of the episode for me was when the girls sang "The First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face)" for Will.  In fact, I even cried a bit.

You see, I'm a lucky girl.  I got to grow up in a house where not only were my parents still married, but were still very much in love.  My dad traveled a lot, but he would bring home flowers for my mom randomly.  They often went on date nights together and when they were both home, they were usually together, even if they weren't doing anything at all.  I really had the best example of what marriage should be like.

I'm not saying their marriage is perfect.  Of course it's not.  My dad has always had a pretty short fuse and is pretty OCD about certain things, but my mom's the most patient person on the face of the planet (my husband being number 2 on that list), and somehow, it works out.  I remember once as a kid wondering why Mom put up with him, why she didn't divorce him.  It seemed like such a simple solution to me, but I was probably 7 or 8 and really didn't understand divorce anyway.  

As an adult, I understand that she "puts up with" Dad's quirks and temper because the good she sees in him outweighs the bad.  I understand that she's not about to just leave him for an offhand comment he makes while he's upset about something completely beyond her control.  It makes sense.

When they met, my mom was 15 and Dad was 16.  They started dating just before Mom turned 16, I think, and got married about 5 years later (1976).  Last month they celebrated 35 years of marriage, and despite the fact that they met over 40 years ago, and that my dad can't always remember why he just walked into a room or what he had for breakfast that morning, he can still tell you exactly what my mom was wearing the first time he saw her.

So, it should be no surprise, then, that Roberta Flack's version of "The First Time Ever" is my mom and dad's song.  I can't imagine a better song for them, and hearing that song reminds me of how lucky I am to have such amazing people to call my parents.

Here's hoping that Hubby and I can follow their lead and be as happy as they are when we've hit the 35 year mark.  :)