Once Upon a Time: A Love Story

These are my parents, Lee and Norma Colyer, of McAlisterville, PA.
This is their love story, which has blessed us so well in this life, and continues on into the next. World without end. Amen.

Once upon a time, a boy met a girl. They lived in rural central Pennsylvania, where they fell in love and got married. My dad and his family built the house they would live in, back on Shade Mountain in Juniata County, amid the woods and waters that they loved so much.

Lee, my father, supported the family on a railroader's salary; he worked as a brakeman at the Enola trainyards in Marysville, PA. My mother, Norma, stayed home and raised their babies, of which there were six: Barbara, Marilyn, Patricia, Robin (the only boy), Anita, and Julie.

My dad retired from the railroad in the 1980s, much to my mother's relief, for she worried about him making the hour's drive each day to work, in all kinds of weather. And from that point on, they got to spend their days together.

The family swelled, as there were weddings and grandchildren, and even a few great-grandchildren, whose pictures you have seen on these pages. Life was good.

They lived long, and prospered, and had a happy marriage, and lived into their early 90s (93 for Dad, 92 for Mom). They celebrated 73 years of wedded bliss in June. This past summer was hard, though. In mid-July, Lee ended up in the hospital, and then assisted living; shortly after, my mom was placed in care as well.

It took some finagling, but eventually, they were back together again, in the same room at a personal care home (for a very short while), and then in a shared room in a nursing home, where they spent their remaining days.

I was well blessed to visit them on this past Sunday. Their condition for the past few weeks was pretty difficult to see. They were in and out of it, but they were able to talk with us during moments of lucidity. I told them I loved them. They said they loved us back. "No worries" or "Don't worry" were the last words I heard my father say.

My father put on his Traveling Suit and left this world for Heaven around 5:15 on Thursday afternoon. This sad news was conveyed to me just after I arrived home from enjoying a beautiful summer day with my husband; the very same day that the last of our hummingbirds left us.

It was my mother's prayer that she and her best beloved would leave this world on the same day, that they would walk to meet their Maker hand-in-hand. But she was afraid it wouldn't happen that way, and I was afraid too. (It NEVER happens that way, not in the statistical manuals, my husband warned.)

But our Lord is faithful, and He keeps His promises; He answered our prayers. My mother grew her angel wings and flew to meet my dad in Heaven around a quarter to one, not even eight hours after Dad passed. I like to think he was standing behind the door, waiting there to pull his bride through those pearly gates.

My husband and I had some frank conversations with my parents during the past several months. My husband teased my dad - a simple man, of farmer stock - about someday walking the streets of gold. How did he feel about THAT?

My dad said, No, the streets of gold would be too much for him. All he wanted was a little cottage by the woods in Heaven, in some out-of-the-way place that was quiet and peaceful and not too populated. So that's where I like to think they ended up.

The morning that I received the news about my mother, via a phonecall from my baby sister, who deserves an A-plus for the excellent care she took of them, my actual words were Praise God, Praise Jesus, Hallelujah! 

My parents are together, again, and while we will certainly miss them in this world, we know they are being warmly welcomed in the happy lands they live in now!

I don't know if they will spend much time walking those streets of gold, as that may be a bit too fancy for their kind. But I know for sure that they will love that little cabin in the woods. And I will look forward to greeting them all someday, when *I* get there.

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for your shining example. 
Thank you for all of the love.
We will do our best to be good and to be strong.
We will see you again, but not yet. . . .

And now these three remain:
Faith, hope, and love.
But the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians, 13:13.

My soundtrack song is Josh Turner, with Would You Go With Me. I've put some of the words below.

If I gave you my hand, would you take it
And make me the happiest man in the world?
If I told you my heart couldn't beat one more minute without you, girl
Would you accompany me to the edge of the sea
Let me know if you're really a dream
I love you so, so would you go with me?

Related links:
When It Was Dark, You Carried the Sun in Your Hand
Family Portrait, Christmas 2018
Oh, the Things She Left Behind
Happy Anniversary!
Ghost Trees Along the Juniata River at Christmas
Dad, 92, Holds Great-Granddaughter for 1st Time
Some Things Are Meant To Be
Transporter on the Chocolate Chip Cookie Pony Express
Who Says You Can't Go Home
The Kiss
Family Treasures
Family Treasures, Take 2