50th wedding anniversary

Congratulations to my parents on the weekend of their 50th wedding anniversary.

We had a family reunion in Sydney. We treated mum and dad to 3 days staying at a gorgeous hotel suite in the city. My brother flew in from Hong Kong, other family members from Melbourne, and regional New South Wales.

Celebrations included dinners overlooking Sydney harbour, lunches, cousins playing together, reminiscing with family over childhood memories of growing up in our family, laughing, skyping with a family member who was unable to attend from interstate, speeches, comedy routines, more laughter and lashings of cake.

Mr Techno played Barista for the weekend. He was very popular with the “outlaws.”

It was wonderful to see my parents so happy and in love after all of these years together.

Here is the speech that I gave at their celebration.

Thank you for all coming together today as a family to celebrate the 50th Wedding Anniversary, the Golden Anniversary of our Mum and Dad, Gran and Grandad, We are creating an occasion and a family memory here today.

Firstly I want to express my best wishes and love to Mum and Dad on this special occasion of their 50th Wedding Anniversary.

The 50th year is known as the Golden Anniversary, and is a very special one as we all know. Mum and Dad, you are in good company too. Amongst others who have celebrated this special occasion are The Queen and Prince Philip who celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in 1997.

What a remarkable fifty years they have been!

Mum and Dad were married 50 years ago. What was the world like in 1961? This was a time before The Beatles, before Man landed on the moon, before there was a woman Prime Minister of Australia, a black President of the United States, the internet, mobile phones and big screen televisions. Perhaps there was no running water, electricity, ANY kind of phone, decimal currency. Maybe even prior to the invention of the wheel.

It is important to recognise your achievements in your family life. You had and raised 3 wonderful children. You also have 5 loving grandchildren.

Mum and Dad were catching a train down to visit us in Sydney and a man was watching them walking along holding hands. He later spoke to them and said that was what “Love” looked like.

Mum and Dad have always been a close-knit unit. They go on their walks together, watch TV together, eat together, work at home together, and nap together. They are a unit. They travel in a pair. So much so that when one of their grandchildren was a preschooler Mum and Dad were not referred to as Gran and Grandad. Instead they were referred to as “the Boy one and the Girl one”.

It is a match made in heaven: Mum talks Dad listens.

Supermarket visits are a source of entertainment for Mum and Dad. Mum has a habit of sneezing uncontrollably in the supermarket aisles when she walks near washing detergent. She has been known to sneeze up to 29 times. Loudly. Very loudly indeed. In an attempt to escape from this spectacle on one occasion, Dad took off down another aisle and stood still looking at some items on some shelves very steadfastly He was motionless and concentrating intently. Minutes passed. After some time, a customer in the supermarket walked up to him and poked him, and when he jumped in response, she was very alarmed and exclaimed “Oh, you are REAL!”

Mum likes to cook up healthy dinners for Dad. She has a crush on Jamie Oliver, John Williamson and Rolf Harris. She loves to play the organ and the piano accordion. She loves to sing and listen to John Williamson. She likes craft and to quill and make beautiful handmade cards for her loved ones. She likes to go for her daily walks, and attend her gym classes with Dad. She is an acupuncture enthusiast. She loves talking. She loves her computer when it is working. She keeps abreast of things on the internet and likes to email her friends and family. She loves her children and her grandchildren.

Dad loves his garden. He lovingly and diligently tends his veggies and his herbs. He has downsized his shed and shed time over the past 6 years since he moved to the Coast. In response his hearing has correspondingly decreased as he spends more time inside the house instead of pottering in his shed. Is there a connection? Who can tell? He likes to grow a moustache sometimes. . He cultivates an impressive sock and tie collection.
He likes to keep up with current affairs and watch travel shows. He likes to keep up with current affairs in his street too by sneaking a peek out the window. He enjoys watching football. He enjoys watching his favourite shows on his flat screen TV. He loves his children and his grandchildren.

One of my clearest, enduring memories of my parents together was when I was a child in the 1970s in the family home. My Dad would come home from work at the same time every night. Mum would watch out for the car arriving. Dad would come in the back door, put his brown leather kit bag down. Mum would meet him in the kitchen, and they would stand in the middle of the kitchen with their arms wrapped around each other, giving each other a long, private loving hug.

So a toast to Mum and Dad, Gran and Grandad on this most special of occasions. We wish you all the best and send you our love on Your 50th Wedding Anniversary.

May health bless your bodies,
May wealth pack your pockets,
May joy fill your future,
May your love last forever

To Mum and Dad. Congratulations on 50 years of marriage.