It’s official. October almost did me in. The blog has been sparse and Founders’ Day posts for the NPC groups celebrating in October have been quickly pulled together from past posts. My to-do list has its own zip code. Frankly, those interested in fraternity and sorority history might skip this post because it really doesn’t include any.
The month opened with the excitement of the marriage of our oldest, our daughter, to an old friend. They graduated from high school in the same class, but never really travelled in the same circles. After college, they reconnected at a mutual friend’s party and continued communicating on the internet while he was in Thailand teaching English. The wedding came together although there were some minor glitches (i.e. having to find a new venue four weeks before the wedding). I tried my best to follow the advice of my Pi Phi friend Lisa, “Bite your tongue and write checks.”
While I am not shy in giving advice, and my strong-willed daughter is not shy in rolling her eyes or doing that quirky “No way, Ma,” thing with her lips, it all came together wonderfully. It was Simply Simone in so many ways. I am proud of my one contribution to the event. Last spring when I spoke at the Centennial of the Kansas State Pi Phi chapter, I helped clean-up after the lunch program. They used burlap runners on the tables. Someone asked if anyone knew of people who might be able to use some of the runners – people getting married or celebrating something. I blurted out that my daughter was getting married in October. A few weeks later, one of my Pi Phi friends e-mailed me that she left some of the burlap runners in the archives. When I showed Simone the runners, she let me know that her color scheme involved burgundy. “No problem,” I said, “I can dye them.” Word to the wise, do not try dying anything in a high efficiency washer. It won’t work. So I took to the small plastic pool I had purchased for the dogs who do not like to have water play in it. Turns out it is perfect for dying things. Dan strung up an impromptu clothes line and I managed to dye, iron and trim the runners. It was my small part in making Simone’s day special.
On the morning of the wedding, according to the bride’s schedule, her father and I were to be dressed and at her beck and call by 10:30 a.m. so that the requisite parent/daughter pictures could be taken. I said, “Yes, dear,” and we magically appeared ready for our close-ups. I hadn’t realized that one of my duties would be pinning her Pi Phi arrow to the inside of her dress. Simone is an alumna initiate and did not have the collegiate experience, so this really touched my heart.
She also presented us with handkerchiefs. For mine, she went through my cards (yes, I keep cards) and found signatures from my Mom and my sister, Louise, who are both deceased. Simone doesn’t know that her grandmother’s signature is done with her left hand. After my mother lost the use of her right hand, she taught herself to write with her left hand. The amazing thing was that her signature looked exactly the same although her block letters looked different from her right-handed letters.
The card she gave me with the hankie asked me not to cry since it would start her crying, too. When I saw the hankie, the tears started to flow, and I am writing this now with tears flowing down my face. It was such a thoughtful and loving gesture from a loving and thoughtful daughter. (She gave her brothers Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle cuff links, a most appropriate gift for them. I must mention the wonderful toast that her brothers gave her at the reception. It was so touching and heartfelt that after they finished, Simone jumped out of her seat, crossed the dance floor and hugged them both. I suspect there were tears in her eyes, too.)
I wish Simone and her husband, our son-in-law, Brian, a happy and wonderful life together. They started married life as they started dating life, although he is not a few continents away as he was then. He’s only a few states away, As a proud mother, here is the link to some of Simone’s movie reviews, http://news.wsiu.org/programs/siu-reviews.
A happy belated anniversary to my husband, Dan. For the second year in a row, I’ve been gone for the Holt House Committee meeting. One of us had a dinner at the Barnstormer, Monmouth’s finest restaurant, on our anniversary and it wasn’t him.
In front of Holt House with my friend Lisa, she of the “bite your tongue and write checks” remark.
© Fran Becque, www.fraternityhistory.com, 2015. All rights reserved. If you enjoyed this post, please sign up for updates. Also follow me on twitter @GLOHistory and Pinterest www.pinterest.com/glohistory/
