forty years of craziness...

four decades of simple craziness:at first,it was a new blended family with two teenaged boys,and a small kid sister... Kelly was not much in the family,still is not... it was a beautiful Saturday afternoon,and yet,we(Doug,Mike,and i)got lost going to the wedding... how Dad and Patti met is classic Donlore,with a crazy Shaw dashing across Fulton Avenue trying to meet "the woman of his dreams"(for Dad,i say,way to go,braindead idiot!!!!)... early in the marriage,i could not get a bead on Patti... was she just someone who was lovely to look at,or was she a lioness waiting to pounce on mistakes that two teenaged boys would make??? that impression of her did not last long for me... the actual turning point in my thinking was the time that Dad threw the blender through the sheetrock... her reaction was simply now-classic Patti:take the keys,lock self in car,and simply refused to move until Dad did the basic groveling(way to go,Dad)... at that time,i saw a moral backbone,because she refused to argue or fight,and that was impressive for me to see... the fondest memory for me of Patti(early on)was the way that she was happy at my high school graduation... now,four decades of craziness:remembering many a softball game,and that appeared to be her passion,as Regan went through high school,and her reaction of her only daughter's high school graduation,before the graduation... it was priceless... in my 20's,she mellowed out,and so did i,but i now know that she was the rock of the family,because she really loved Dad,and you hurt him,your name is mud,and for over a decade,my name was mud to her,and i knew it... it was not that she did not care,or love me,but she was pissed at me,period... to say this now,but Patti,i am,and was,very sorry for that... in the last fifteen plus years since then,i have come to appreciate,cherish,and simply love the woman,because it was amazing to see Mom,and Patti become like real sisters,and really laugh and simply talk about family things,and i was very happy to see that bond between them... in the last years of this forty years of craziness,i saw a lady with toughness that i never really have seen,because she simply refused to let illnesses get her down,even though at times,it must have been tougher than hitting your head against a brick wall... still is tough,i know,but the real class,and beauty comes out like a lady who is still lovely to look at,but she is still a lioness,who now is tougher than iron,and still is classic Patti-the rock of the family... with a real heart of pure love,i say:why do you put up with forty years of Dad??? still must be an adventure,right,Dad??? many years of my love to you both...