The Men Who Love(d) my Mom

The Men Who Love(d) My Mom

John Paul Derryberry

My daughter plays with the ball, my teammates from my baseball team signed from when my dad died while my mom's husband power washers the deck at my new house. The two men my mom loved collide uniquely for me on this day. My mom and dad were married for 25 years until his death, about 15 years later, she married Dennis.

My marriage is in still young, and I'm still learning from my mom and then men she chooses for her life how to interact with my wife, my family, and the community. The only thing you need to know about my mom is that she hates missing out on stuff. When I decided to live in Iowa from about the time I was 18, it crushed her, not because she wasn't proud of me but because it meant she would miss out. She has stayed in the all the dumpy apartments I called home through the years. She was probably the happiest person in the world when I got married. Not because I had found love, but because she would no longer have to spray her luggage for bugs when she returned home.

Since he has been in my life Dennis too has been dragged to Iowa probably more times than he can count. They once drove from Florida to Iowa to attend a public speaking event. They cried with us when we lost one of our adoptions and cried with us again when the adoption of our daughter was finalized. It was completed in January, and my mom commented no matter the weather I won't miss this, meaning no matter the weather Dennis had to get his wife to Iowa.

There he was again improving my new house not because he's super into my life, but because he loves my mom so much. It's what we do when we love people we drive to Mason City, Iowa and power wash a deck. It made my mom happy, and it made me happy to see just how much this man cares for my mom. My mom landed two men who loved her deeply. And these men and my mom continue to educate me on the ingredients and recipe of what it takes to build a long-lasting successful relationship.

I share this with you today to remind everyone there is life after a tragedy. It may start the next day, or it may begin years later, but life always gives us a chance to find purpose, happiness, and the pure joy of life again. Also, I guess if you need relationship advice about how to land a great spouse-you should seek out my mom, she's done it twice now.