Christmas to Easter Romance

Last year was not at all what I had expected it to be. There is no plan in place when you lose someone unexpected. My year of “firsts” without my love ended March 31, 2025.

Rich and I had a Christmas to Easter Romance that lasted 59 years. We met on Christmas Day 1965, fell in love and got married on July 29, 1967. This is a blog I wrote about our True Love is Forever Strong back in December 2015. My hope is to write another chapter in the future.

It’s taken me a year to even take about what happened on Easter Sunday March 31, 2024. I came downstairs, Rich and I exchanged hugs and kisses like we always to and said Happy Easter. He told me he didn’t get a chance to make my card but I told him, “I don’t need a card, I have you.” Rich always wrote love notes and cards, usually with a rose attached to them which were more special than any store bought card. I went over to the kitchen to get ready to make a cake for Easter dinner when Rich collapsed from his chair and fell on the floor. The EMT’s came immediately but I knew it was too late. He had a blood clot in his aorta that caused a stroke, then heart attack. This was the end of my world, I didn’t know how I would go on after being together 59 years, an entire lifetime.

I have seen so many signs from Rich this past year and I know he is watching over his family. The most recent this beautiful Cardinal stopped by my backyard last week. I don’t know how I would have handle things if it wasn’t for my daughter Chris, her husband and my granddaughter Alexandra. Alex lived less than a mile away but Chris lives in Manassas Virginia, about seven hours away but she has come down so many times just to check on me and be here to hold me together.

I wasn’t looking forward to the 1st anniversary of Rich leaving me on March 31 but once again my daughter and son-in-law came down to be with me. My neighbors Carl, April, Rusty and Linda gave me a beautiful Snowball bush for Rich’s memory garden I’m making and Chris and Bryon helped me plant it Sunday. The next morning I looked out and once again Chris pulled a fast one, she had a gorgeous trellis with butterflies in the garden behind the Snowball bush. I’m sure Rich is smiling down.

Our Christmas to Easter romance lasted 59 years and I have so many wonderful memories to hold me together until I’m back in Rich’s arms in heaven.