John Brown found himself sitting in his favorite chair, in his living room. He looked around at all the picture frames on the walls, and the digital photograph thing that his kids had gotten them for Christmas a few years earlier. As hundreds of photos transitioned between each other, John found himself lost in a reflective state of mind. Somewhere in the vast time of remembrance, a tear formulated itself and traveled down the grooves of John's face. It was the first of thousands of tears that he was about to begin to lose. Each individual tear carrying another memory with it. While the rest of his family was upstairs, hosting their memorial event, John just wanted to get away and spend some quality alone time with the memory of the woman of his dreams.
It had only been six hours since his wife, Anna, had been placed into the earth.
Six days before that, John had rushed Anna to the hospital in the middle of the night. She was complaining of serve pains in her abdominal area.
It was only two years before that when Anna had to rush John to the hospital, when he collapsed in their back yard while trying to pull weeds from her garden. It was John's third heart attack, and once again he barely made it through.
Earlier that year was a huge milestone for John and Anna, they became great-great grandparents, when their 16-year old great-granddaughter, Amanda, gave birth a child. It came with a lot of controversy, and many in the extended family were very upset with her, and her father - Brandon. But, despite the attitudes and the feelings, everyone came together when he was born, and welcomed another generation into their family. John and Anna felt so old, when they took a family portrait with five generations together.
Two years earlier, John and Anna celebrated their sixtieth wedding anniversary. Despite being such a huge milestone, and the grandness of their previous anniversaries, they decided that they wanted something smaller this time. They rented out a local reception hall, and had the entire family get together. Over the many years, their small mid-western family had expanded to all extremes of the country. One of their sons, James was in San Fransisco. One of their grandchildren was living in Alaska. One of their great-grandchildren was going to school in New York City. Many other members were scattered all across the United States. Some had moved for school, some had moved for jobs, and other had moved for love. All John and Anna wanted was for everyone to come back together to celebrate, and almost everyone made it. The only person who wasn't in attendance was Jackson, James' son, who was in Afghanistan at the time.
Five years earlier was September 11th, and after the attacks, John and Anna were so afraid to find out that Jackson was being sent over to Iraq. The first of three trips that he would eventually take to the Middle East. The Brown family was a life long military family, and Jackson was the fourth generation to serve, but only the second to actually see war firsthand. While John was proud of his grandson, he constantly worried for him. The art of war had evolved significantly since his time, and he was very concerned for Jackson's safety. Because of this, Jackson would write home to his grandfather three times more often than he would write to his own mother. Jackson always looked up to his grandfather, and as a child, he would sit and listen to him tell war stories for hours at a time. These stories had a great influence on him, and Jackson never forgot how important John was to him.
One year earlier had been John's second heart attack, the worst one. Every member of the family feared the phone ringing, for it may carry the horrific news. It took the better part of six months, and lots of rehabilitation, but John eventually seemed to recover completely. During this entire time, Anna was always at his side. But this was really nothing different from every other day of their lives. Since the day they were married, Anna never again had a paid job in her life. Family was her job. She was the model they used for the Stepford Wives. She had breakfast on the table at 6:30am, and dinner was always hot and ready at 5:00pm. The laundry was done twice a week. The kids had brown sack lunches ready every day. Anna always joked about the taxi services she offered. Between the three children, there was Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, basketball practice, soccer practice, volleyball practice, theatre rehearsals, church functions, and time spent working on their uncle's farm. It was a busy life, but it was the life Anna wanted, and making her family as happy as possible was the only thing she ever cared about. Joe knew he was a lucky man, and he never took his wife granted. So, after so many years of back massages, foot rubs, fancy dinners, flowers, and love letters; it was finally Anna's turn to take care of her husband. It humbled John, who always believed it was his job and his responsibility to protect Anna.
Four years before that second heart attack was the fiftieth anniversary of John and Anna's marriage. For this milestone, they finally took their Hawaiian vacation. James, Aaron, and Julie grew up hearing their parents talk about their desire to visit Hawaii. John was a avid military enthusiast, and visited almost every battlefield in North America, including Queenston Heights, Chatham (Ontario), Palo Alto, Resaca de la Palma, Veracruz, Salt River Canyon, Fort Sumter, and Gettysburg, of course. Many summer vacations were spent taking his children on long road trips to various small towns and open fields and giving them history lessons along the way. So, when John and Anna announced that they were finally planning their trip to Hawaii, their children spared no expense to make sure that it was the trip of a lifetime. Pooling their money and resources, the Brown children set their parents up with a ten-day vacation as an anniversary present. The vacation included stops on all four islands, and every possible historical tour that a person could take. Standing in the observation memorial for the USS Arizona was the most surreal experience that John had in years. The moment brought uncontrolled tears to his eyes, as he thought about the three friends he had whose final resting spot was directly below where he was standing. One was a family friend whom he only knew socially, but the other two were boys he grew up in the same neighborhood with, who just happen to be two years older than him, and had enlisted as soon as they graduated high school. John remembered the days before they left for Honolulu, and how excited they were to be serving their country. As a 17-year old senior, John was jealous and couldn't wait for that to be him. He was already registered, an just waiting to turn eighteen and graduate, and then he would be on his way. Less than six months later, two of his childhood friends would be dead.
Four years earlier, John and Anna welcomed their first great-grandchild into the world, when Aaron's oldest son, Brandon and his wife gave birth to their daughter Amanda. The elderly couple had to make a long trip to Richmond, Virginia to visit the newest generation of the Brown Family. As John held Amanda is his arms, Brandon asked, "Grandpa, will you tell her about the wars in this area?" As John began talking about the battle at Proctor's Creek, Brandon got nostalgic and he remembered when he was growing up, and listened to his grandfather talk to him and cousins for hours.
Five years earlier was when Anna was first diagnosed with cancer. It was rough on the entire family, as it took the doctors numerous visits and tons of tests to come up with what they thought was the problem. Science wasn't so advanced at this point, and this particular variety of cancer was a little lesser known, and not so understood. It showed various signs that continued to throw off the doctors, and it took a long time for them to finally narrow down what they thought it was. Sadly, they originally mis-diagnosed her, and it wouldn't be for many more years, with the help of advancements in technology, that doctors would realize their mistake. It's really too bad, because it's most likely that the treatments she was given this year, because the complications that eventually resulted in her body completely shutting down.
Five years before that was one of the most tragic events for the family. During a summer vacation to a lake house in the upper peninsula of Michigan, Julie's middle son, Edward drowned in a lake. Julie and her husband Charlie both worked in the legal system, and were both workaholics. Neither of them had been on a vacation in years. As their children were getting older, they decided that it would be nice to give them a nice, lavish vacation. So, they rented a large lake house at Lac La Belle for two weeks. John and Anna went up for a few days, and then returned home. Happy to get a small vacation in for themselves, and happy to spend quality time with their daughter and grandchildren. It made it that much harder, three days later when they got the phone call. Anna had to give the phone to John because she lost it as soon as she heard the news. Thomas, Edward, and Ashley took the paddle boat out on the water, eventually parking the boat and all getting out to play around. All three of them knew how to swim, and their parents had no worries. After a while, Thomas and Ashley realized that they hadn't seen Edward for a few minutes. The began diving down in the water, and it was Thomas who eventually found Edward, tangled in a tree underwater. The theory is that he somehow hit his head while swimming underwater, because disoriented, and thought he was swimming up, when in reality, he was swimming down under the tree, where he eventually became trapped and drowned. Thomas and Ashley got his body into the boat, and frantically trying to pump the water out of his lungs. Ashley paddle her hardest while Thomas beat on Edwards chest and tried to breath life back into his lungs. Sadly, by the time they reached the house and got their parents, it was a lost cause. Edward was dead. His siblings carried the burden and guilt for many, many years and the family did not take another vacation together until both Thomas and Ashley had graduated high school. It was one of the roughest times for the Brown family. Many family members made the trip home for the funeral, but a number of them were still missing.
Three years earlier, Jackson was born to James. Jackson was their last grandchild.
Four years before that, Martin was born to James. Despite being their oldest child, James was the last one to get married. He two children became the youngest of their generation.
The previous year, Ashley was born to Julie.
Edward was the year before that, Julie's second child.
One year earlier was a double whammy. Aaron gave John and Anna their first grandchild in April. And in June, Julie gave birth to Thomas. Their first two grandchildren came less than three months apart. And in October, James was married to Sarah. It was definitely an eventful year for John and Anna, and the entire Brown family. Lost of traveling was done by many of the family members.
The year before was a milestone for John and Anna. It was their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary, and Anna went all out to plan a great trip to Europe for John. Ever since he returned from the War, John had spoken many times about wanting to go back someday. Anna was never really sure if he meant it. She heard stories of other soldiers returning and not being able to deal with the things that they went through and witnessed. But, after twenty-four years, John legitimately seemed interested in returning, and Anna had always wanted to see Europe, so she made the plans and surprised John a month beforehand. And Anna was right, John truly did want to go back. He was more than patient to wait for the cities to be rebuilt, so that he could enjoy them for what they truly were. He remembered various candies and treats that he used his money to buy while he was in Franc and Germany. He remembered walking through destroyed cities and wondering what they looked like in their prime. He knew his experiences were tainted by the war, and he always wanted to be able to experience these places the ways they were meant to be, by tourists. So, the middle-aged couple spent seventeen wonderful days enjoying France, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. John found numerous locations that he knows he was
One year earlier was Julie's wedding to Charlie. Sadly, James missed this wedding, as he was at the end of his four years in Vietnam. It was a long four years for Anna, more than John. Being a survivor of wartime, John seemed to believe that his son would return without any issue. Anna was constantly frantic, and hated going many months between hearing from her first-born son. It took its toll on their relationship, but John was a constant rock to keep her solid and help her through the rough times. When John finally came home, it was to a large family party, and John was finally introduced to Charlie, whom his sister stared dating not long after he left for Vietnam, and was now married to.
Four years earlier was the beginning of the rough times for Anna. It was an emotional goodbye when she was forced to watch John walk through the corridor and get onto the plane that would take him to his company, and only a few days later he would be on another plane heading to the South Pacific. She couldn't even try to strong about it. She didn't sleep for three nights beforehand, and when she made him his favorite breakfast, she cried the entire time he was eating it. She cried the entire time they drove him to the airport. She cried the entire time they were standing in the terminal, and she collapsed on the ground when was out of her sight. But John was there for her, and did his best to be strong enough for both of them. That summer was their twentieth anniversary, and despite the few months time, Anna was still an emotional wreck. So, for their anniversary, John planned a very special trip. Out into the middle of the countryside. And even though he tried to keep it a surprise, Anna was not dumb. When they were still an hour away from their destination, Anna knew exactly where they were going, and what it meant to that day. As they pulled up the winding road, Anna felt the most peace she had in a long, long time. When they finally reached the clearing at the top of the hill, and pulled up to the little white church, Anna cried again. But this time, they were tears of joy and happiness, as she thought back to spending a warm June afternoon in this exact location, twenty years prior. They spent the day walking around the grounds, talking about the events of that day, talking about all of the moments they've had since then, and they ended a perfect afternoon with a picnic. Not one person bothered them the entire day, and it was as if the world stopped just for them to enjoy the afternoon together. While it did provide ease while they were there, it's didn't last too long after she arrived home. Anna just could not stop thinking about her little boy, being in the heart of a war where thousands of people were dying. A few years later, that church would be torn down, and this special day was the last time either of them saw the church where they were married.
The previous fifteen years were filled with young love, and a growing family. Thousands of diapers for their three children. Sporting events for the kids. School dances. Summer camps. The family moved quite a bit in the beginning, but by the time James was set to start high school, John and Anna settled down in the city and house that they would end up living in for the next forty-eight years. The military took them all across the country, and it's probably why and how this family developed such a close-knit and tight family relationship. They always had each other to depend on, and despite what happened down the road, and despite the paths their lives would take, and despite how ever far they moved away from each other, this family always stayed close, because that's how they all knew life. Ever since Julie was born.
Aaron was born the year before.
And James was born two years earlier.
This was one year after John and Anna got married.
Which was two years after John returned from Europe, serving in World War II.
John had spent the previous three years in France and Germany, serving in the United States Army. John was prepared to sign up at age 17, but had to wait until after he graduated high school and turned 18, and on his birthday he signed his papers, and it was merely a few weeks later that he found himself in basic training. Which was a very rough way to start his very young relationship with Anna. He wasn't allowed to call or write her, and then he was only allowed to be home for one week before he was shipped out. He landed on the beach of Normandy only hours after the first wave, and John will never forget the thousand of bodies that he saw on that day. But, even while he was in Europe, he was able to occasionally get letter written and sent to Anna, and in those letters he begged and pleaded with her to wait for him, and to give him a chance to give her a wonderful life. John was madly in love with Anna, even though they had only been dating for a little over one year at this time. And John's letter's reached Anna, and touched her in so many ways, that she knew that she needed to wait for him to come home, and that she wanted a long life with him. She would read every letter he wrote, everyday, and she would lie in bed, staring into the paint patterns on her ceiling, while she day-dreamed of a future with John. She thought about kids, and grand kids, and a perfect life together. John and Anna did not have a perfect life, they had a life full of ups and downs, lots of good and some bad. But, when Anna was getting ready to pass away, and lying on her hospital bed, she looked at the ceiling in that room, and she thought back to being seventeen, eighteen, and even nineteen, and she compared her notes with herself. Marry the man of my dreams? Check. Have children, grandchildren, and a solid family? Check. Die in the arms of the man I'm madly in love with? Check.
One year prior was the first date for John and Anna.
John was a senior and Anna was a junior, and they met each other on the sidelines of a football game. John was a wide receiver for his high school's team, while Anna was a cheerleader. When John caught a ball and was sprinting down the sideline, he was eventually hit by a safety and went flying out of bounds. When he hit the ground, he rolled, and ended up taking out the legs of Anna. She tumbled down on top of him, and as he helped her up - they had their first "shared moment". John instantly thought she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. It might be going too far to say it was "love at first sight", but when John tracked Anna down the next day to ask her to dinner, it was mostly definitely love at second sight.
John did not have a car of his own, therefore he begged and pleaded and bartered, until his father agreed to allow him to use his 1939 Ford Deluxe Coupe to take out Anna. John took advantage of the car, and for the first hour of their date, they just cruised up and down the main streets of town, while they talked. They eventually ended up getting some Surf 'N Turf for dinner, before heading to the small single-screen movie theatre to watch "Babes on Broadway". It was during the musical number "How About You?" that John leaned over and kissed Anna on the cheek, and when she turned to look at him, they had their first kiss.
Five years later, at their wedding, they would have their first dance to this song.
And sixty-nine years later, while Anna laid in her hospital bed, slipping in and out of consciousness, John would be sitting right next to her with his arms wrapped around her, whispering into her ear...
"I'm so delighted I've ignited the spark within you. Let me continue to make it burn..."
