A Good Woman

Another good woman has passed from us. She was known mostly to her friends and family, a good woman by any definition. Her name, Edythe Schmidt. She was born into a large Italian-American family, living in Long Island, New York. She was the youngest of her siblings.  She and my brother married, oh so many years ago, over 60.  Just when we begin to believe it can go on forever, she was taken from us. She died in the loving arms of her daughters, much as we all might wish for our final exit from the stage called life.

Edythe loved and cared for her family all of her life, first as a loving daughter and sister, then as a mom.  Often we celebrate the famous people. But it is the ordinary people we need to celebrate—the folks who get up in the morning, and do what needs to be done for the children.  That was Edythe.

When Edythe and her hubby, my dear brother, were married 50 years, we penned an homage to them both. Now they are both gone, but our memories of them are intact. The words below still capture the wonder of this couple and their relationship with this world we call life.

 

Tribute to Bill & Edythe

On Attaining the Age of the Married Superstars

You must know by now that you are a special couple.

Because you are perfect?????

Nah . . .

Because you somehow learned how to transcend all of the big and little events, annoyances, and outrages that life serves up to married couples.

Just think.

When you were married Dwight D. Eisenhower was poised to take over the Presidency.

You’ve stayed married long enough to observe

The lunacy of this young century.

When you were first married,

You had to work and become educated 18 hours a day.

Edythe had to wash dishes by hand

Change real diapers for baby Claudia

And nurse baby Diane through some trying times.

You’ve graduated from an old beat-up Chevrolet

Which you used to drive your baby brother and his girl friend

To her home, so they could neck in the back seat.

Now you worry about the possibility of your grandchildren driving in the near future.

You cared for your children, your parents and even some grandparents

You even survived Long Island.

 We Love you both.

You’re an inspiration to your family

Your friends

And even, I imagine, to yourselves.

When you scratch your heads, and silently ask,

How did we do that? 

You already know the answer.

Because you wanted to

Needed to

Demanded to

Experience a long and wonderful marriage. 

May the next 50 be even happier than the first 50. 

Much Love

Richard & Carol 

 They didn’t make 50 more years, only some ten.  But their life was full, because they extracted the juices of goodness from each morsel served up to them.  Our memories remain full of their life. We loved them then. We love them now. Perhaps they know it, perhaps not. But they both knew the full measure of love given by a grateful family, grateful for all the goodness they delivered to us all.

May you rest in peace, dear Edythe. Your life was full and good.