Translated…
Ann, who was born to a famous family in Belgium shared with me a few pictures of her birthday party. Wow, the men were all in tuxedos, dressed up to the nines, the ladies, with their stylish hats too, very eye catching, but not cheesy one bit, it looked like a party for the modern nobilities.
Ann, tall and beautiful, is a friend I’d met as I arrived in the U.S., her father owns an airline company in Belgium, the family as they’d traveled across Europe and the U.S., flew out on the family aircrafts.
Ann said, that the family planned to throw a birthday party, especially for her dad, early that morn, Ann’s brother-in-law got her father out hunting with him, as the guests got onto the cruise ship the family rented for the occasion. Becuasce Ann’s father wore his blue striped dress shirt every single day, with the ironed suit, and so, all of the male blood relatives all agreed, to dress up like her father too that day; as all the guests arrived, Ann’s brother-in-law led her father onto the deck, the family members stood in a line, it’d moved Ann’s father so.
from the newspapers here…
Translated…
Ann, who was born to a famous family in Belgium shared with me a few pictures of her birthday party. Wow, the men were all in tuxedos, dressed up to the nines, the ladies, with their stylish hats too, very eye catching, but not cheesy one bit, it looked like a party for the modern nobilities.
Ann, tall and beautiful, is a friend I’d met as I arrived in the U.S., her father owns an airline company in Belgium, the family as they’d traveled across Europe and the U.S., flew out on the family aircrafts.
Ann said, that the family planned to throw a birthday party, especially for her dad, early that morn, Ann’s brother-in-law got her father out hunting with him, as the guests got onto the cruise ship the family rented for the occasion. Because Ann’s father wore his blue striped dress shirt every single day, with the ironed suit, and so, all of the male blood relatives all agreed, to dress up like her father too that day; as all the guests arrived, Ann’s brother-in-law led her father onto the deck, the family members stood in a line, it’d moved Ann’s father so.
Ann is a well-to-do, rich girl, but she’d made things work on her own, not relied on her parents’ money or help. Ann’s husband, Peter was from California, the two of them met in the optometry school in California,, after they’d graduated, they’d moved to Virginia, to set up an eye examination office; as their lives are just, starting out, they’d taken the simplest approach to life, Ann’s wedding dress was bought cheap, at an auction, and, the tall Peter, other than having an ophthalmologist office, he’d used his weekends to set up an online auction shop, and, Ann worked two days out of the week, at my community, in the office buildings, as she prepared for her optometry exams.
what life looked like…not my photograph…
Ann loved children, she’d always stated, that children are the best gifts from the heavens above, and as she blinked her bright eyes, announced that she’s pregnant, her radiant smile made us all believe, that she’s bound, to be a good mother. She’d bought a crib for her unborn child, with an assortment of infant clothes inside the closets already, and counted down to the day when she’s due every single day. But, Ann accidentally miscarried! And all I could do was, accompany by her side, as she cried hard, and prayed to God, to sent her His blessings.
That summer, she and Peter got ready to return to Belgium to visit his family. And, as she’d learned that my husband was coming over to visit me and the kids, she’d handed me her house keys, invited all of us, to have a short stay at her place; her selflessness and trust in me, was more than heartwarming.
A year and a half later, I moved to Boston, we were busy in our separate lives, and only wrote each other occasionally. Last Christmas, I received a greeting card from her, and there was this, handsome lad, and two beautiful younger girls; the eldest just entered into the sixth grade, the youngest, just into kindergarten. Ann who was born into a well-to-do family actually fulfilled her own dreams—becoming a stay-at-home mom who looked after her husband, and taught her children, she is also, a very, successful optometrist herself.
Ann and Peter are very much in love, this year, they planned to fly to San Francisco to celebrate their twentieth wedding anniversary, and, their warmth, and down-to-earth friendship, became one of the best gifts I’d ever known, moving to the States.
So, this woman’s happily ever after still didn’t come easy to her, but, because she’d carried that optimistic attitude about life, that, is why she’s now, given everything that’s rightfully hers.
Life, the Obstacle Course 