Another Anniversary

August was a big month for weddings in my family.

A few days ago was my parents' 50th wedding anniversary.

Today marks the 70th anniversary of the wedding of my grandparents (my mother's parents), Chester and Josephine Michalak.

Of course, I have photographs. There are benefits to being a pack rat.




Few people are likely to remember, but -- for reasons that are unclear to me -- my parents had to cancel their original honeymoon plans to take a trip to the Black Hills of South Dakota. Instead, they traveled to Northern Wisconsin for a vacation among the myriad lakes. My grandparents had already planned to travel "up north" at the same time, in part to celebrate their own 20th wedding anniversary.

For years afterward, my father was able to joke about being the only man ever accompanied on his honeymoon by his in-laws.