Congratulations! I wish I could be there!

Unfortunately, the 6,000 miles that lie between us and California feel like 100,000 at the moment. It might as well be so far that any mode of transportation will make the journey home inaccessible.

I feel this way because it is a very special day for my family, and I cannot be there to participate in this rare, most incredible celebration. Today, April 8 2009 marks the 70th, I repeat, 70th! wedding anniversary of my beloved grandparents. At 90 and 92-years old, it is still so evident that they are the loves of each other's lives. It is inspiring, motivating and I am so proud of everything they have accomplished-together.

I share day with everyone because if I was home, I would be giving a toast to them at dinner and since I am only a few miles from where they are right now-at dinner, writing on here is the next best thing- so everyone can hear.

A little background: The scene begins at Galalio High School in San Francisco where my grandmother was in the cafeteria buying cookies (of course :)- she had seen Ralph 

Borgeson before since he was in fact one of the star football players at the school but more importantly, she needed something from him. She was, in fact involved in a high pursuit with her friend to see who could get the most signatures in their yearbooks- Barbara, my grandmother, was missing Ralph's- and that was the first moment... Ironically enough, my grandfather already had a Barbara of his own on his arm- my grandmother now lovingly calls his ex-girlfriend a "foul ball". It must have been my grandmother's sense of humor that won Ralph over :)

Several years later in 1939, my grandmother married at 20. However, she did not shed tears of joy as she walked down the aisle arm in arm with her father- no but rather she was giggling out of control due to her father's knee's cracking as they made their way toward the alter. Again, my grandmother's personality paved the path for their future together.

Their lives have been anything but routine or dull. Being a pilot with the Flying Tigers and a colonel in the Air Force, they lived all around the world. From Alaska where my grandfather had to leave in a moment's notice after Pearl Harbor had been bombed to Asia where my grandmother was hardly recognizable when they finally docked after a week's + journey on a boat to meet my grandfather already living in Japan. She has never done well on boats and to this day refuses to go on them.  However, shaking hands with JFK I'm sure made up for her bout with sea-sickness

After finally moving back to Marin County, and being stationed at Hamilton Air Field, my grandfather retired from the Air Force and became a Firefighter in the Cow Hollow neighborhood of San Francisco.  As if living around the world, fighting in the war and flying for the Flying Tigers wasn't exciting enough!  I have been very fortunate in that my grandfather has shared many of his stories from his 'glory days' while being stationed at the firehouse.  The contributions he has made and the lives he saved have also propelled me to follow his footsteps.  

Although my grandpa no longer surprises my grandmother with pink convertible Cadillacs or do they need to write each other long letters across oceans that separate them, they show their love to each other everyday.  From the moment my grandmother wakes up, she is handed coffee in bed that my grandpa has made by feeling his way around the coffee maker.  Coffee in bed has been a ritual for them since before I was...every morning.  After my grandmother gets up,

she prepares the fruit for breakfast, usually papaya and together, they lean over the small sink and eat- as if we don't have plates to spare :) Their day is completed together-without one, the other is lost- from figuring out how many Motrin pills fell out of the bottle, to getting the mail and reading it together, to watching Lawernce Welk, to sharing a milk shake and even to baking cookies for my grandfather-the thing that brought them together over 70 years ago.

With two children, Phil who will retire soon and Heidee, who has just retired after 34 years of teaching, my grandparents also have three grand-children: Marnie, who lives in Oklahoma, Jessie, who lives in Sacramento and me, in China.  Finally, they have three GREAT-grandchildren: Alexandria, who will graduate high school in Oklahoma this year, Hope who also lives in Oklahoma and has a few more years of high school, and Francessa, an aspiring model/actress who lives in Sacramento- my poor grandfather is surrounded by women!

Grandma and Grandpa, Congratulations!!  I am so proud of you both and what

 you have achieved!  You have been my example all throughout my life and I am so very sorry I wasn't able to be there for you both on this special day but like always, you are in my thoughts.  Cheers to you both!! (Chad says you need a glass of  champagne for him!) Have a wonderful 70th anniversary!  I love you and miss you both.