S T O R I E S

My son only has two sets of grandparents and not four like the rest of the kids.

I was never able to use one parent against the other because they were on the same side and that happened to be the side us kids were not on.

In addition to this sad fact, they didn't give a rip which parent I loved more at the time.

It wasn't that divorce was never mentioned in our household - in fact, it was mentioned often.

It was mentioned when my mother cleaned out my father's pickup and "lost everything." It came up again when she cleaned off his desk and "lost everything."

It was mentioned when she threw away his favorite shoes (incidentally, he left them in the bathroom). It was mentioned when he walked into the kitchen just before a party and started "cleaning out the fridge."

It was thought of when he drove off and left her at the truck weigh station in San Jon.

It was discussed loudly at every cow working they had for the (so far) 56 years of marriage.

It was mentioned every time there was no water at the house when company was expected.

I am sure it was thought of when my mother was trying to get three kids off to church, throw something in the oven to eat afterwards, only to have my father stand at the door and beller, "Let's go, let's go" over and over.

It should have been discussed every time my father (who refuses to pack his own suitcase) never likes what has been packed for him, or the many times he either brought someone home for supper or planned a crew to work without informing her of his plans.

I listen to the reasons cited these days for divorce and compare them to the long marriage my parents have.

"We have nothing in common." The only thing in common my parents had was neither wanted to be left with us kids.

No matter our sins, we were acting like "your father" or "your mother's people."

When we were kids, my parents broke up the fight. Now we listen to their fights knowing if we agree they will turn on us like scalded cats and say, "Don't EVER talk about your mother/father that way!"

Recently my father called me and said he had proof my mother was trying to kill him. She had handed him some underwear that had a black widow in the fold.

I cheered for the old gal and said I thought she'd lost her gumption by now. He hung up on me.

Welda McKinley Grider gets no sympathy from her parents over marital woes of her own.