Last Days before the long-distance relationship
Filling the Bucket
This time (June 27-30, 1982) was spent being together and taking care of your car. We were engaged and had weathered a storm, so we seemed an “old” couple by now even though we had truly only met two weeks before.
I remember the night of June 30 as clearly as if it was yesterday. We were saying our good-byes for the night as you were leaving the next day to return to the ship. You had to be back by July 2, because the Saipan was going to New York for a PR tour over the July 4th holiday. As we were saying our good-byes, I clumsily said, “Why do you have to leave?” You looked at me confused as if to say “Because I have to get back to the ship”. I explained that I meant leave me, not simply leave. I was worried that this might just be a “summer thing” for this handsome sailor. You reminded me that you loved me and would never leave me. Your words were so genuine that I knew at that moment that we were forever. So, even though I was sad that you were leaving, I was so happy that I found my forever love.
The next day, July 1, I drove you to the airport. You and Don couldn’t get your car in working order, and we hadn’t heard anything from insurance so we hadn’t bought a new one yet. So, you flew back. I wrote my address along with “I love Robert E. Rose” on the airline folder, which is the start of the letters in the box.
This two weeks was the happiest I had been in my life. I was so happy to have fallen in love with you. It happened so naturally that I was sure God sent you to me.
I am a school counselor turned counselor educator, professor, and author helping educators and parents to build social, emotional, and academic growth in ALL kids! The school counseling blog delivers both advocacy as well as strategies to help you deliver your best school counseling program.
I'm a mother, grandmother, professor, author, and wife (I'll always be his). Until October 20, 2020, I lived with my husband, Robert (Bob) Rose, in Louisville, Ky. On that awful day of October 20,2020, my life profoundly changed, when this amazing man went on to Heaven. After Bob moved to Heaven, I embraced my love of writing as an outlet for grief. Hence, the Grief Blog is my attempt to share what I learned as a Counselor in education with what I am learning through this experience of walking this earth without him. My mission is to help those in grief move forward to see joy beyond this most painful time.
