For Better or For Worse, In Sickness and In Health

Where do you begin to tell your love story? Does it begin the first day you exchange a "wink?"  The first time you exchanged an email or a phone call or the first time you looked into each others eyes? Does your love story start with each moment of each day and just get better as time goes on?

Our love story started, September 8, 2003, when we exchanged our first email.  Every moment after that was a second in our history of pure unconditional love.

Ned was honored that I had asked him to give me away. He and his brother were different souls, but admired one another on many different levels.  As we walked down the aisle, I didn't hesitate like I did when I was marrying Chappy.  I knew this was what I had always wanted.

Bill stood up the entire time.  He was so handsome and I was so proud of him.  He had his oxygen, his morphine pump and a cane.  He was just glowing as was I.  As I approached him, I had to let him know, how much I loved him, so I leaned over to kiss him.  This is not in the rehearsal, no kissing before the vows, but trust me, we kissed a lot before the vows, so I didn't see any thing wrong with kissing him and thanking him for standing while I came down the aisle.

Ned &  Cindy

He told me I was beautiful.  He was medicated, heavily at times, but I'd like to  think,  he meant it. As I stood there, exchanging vows, the reality set in.  "For better  or worse, in sickness and in health."  We'd been there, we were there now.  These vows, were not "in the event this should happen," these vows were "you are living this right now" and you meant every word you spoke.

My focus was on him.  I don't remember another person in the church.  I had gone out the week before and bought our wedding rings.  He wanted a silver band.  I had a diamond band. Within minutes we were announced Man and Wife, Mr. and Mrs. William Klebusch.  We did it! We were married and just so very happy.

Mr & Mrs.

The reception was held in the church as well.  Not many people, just family and friends.  My parents didn't come to the wedding.  They were in Florida and Mother said, "I've seen you get married twice already, what's one more time." I'm sure she didn't mean it, she just wasn't one to meet new people.  I had become accustomed to them not being there for me over the years.  It is just who they are and it is more my mother than my father.

I love my mom, but she is who she is and it took me many years to accept her for her. She loves me in her own way, but she has a difficult time showing it.

We gathered in the other room for a light lunch and pictures.  Bill wanted to sit down, he was tired, so I made a plate for him and we sat while everyone came up to wish us well. 

Bill's Dad, Poppy, came over to us first.  He congratulated us and leaned down to give me a kiss.  Bill was beaming. "Poppy, I finally got it right this time, didn't I?"

Bill, Cindy & Poppy

It was such an emotional day for all of us, "Yep, you sure did."  And he gave us a hug. The girls were there as was the "boyfriend." They sat at the end of the table that we were at making fun of the others in attendance. I tried hard to ignore them as did Bill. Ashley was "sick" and the two were very detached from their father all day.

Bill's sister had baked us a carrot cake, it was our favorite.  We ate, visited a little and cut the cake before getting some pictures of everyone together.   There were brief moments that the camera caught my sweet William as if he were still so full of life and yet, so many pictures of him looking off in space staring at someone waiting for him.  I cherish the pictures that I see life still lingering in his eyes and his beautiful smile.

Cut the Cake

Special moments were shared as we cut our cake. Little whispers to one another about the day and the joy within our hearts. It was as if we were the only two people in the room, our eyes never left one another's. This was our moment in time.

The lunch served, the champagne sipped, the cake cut, not much else to do, but take pictures.  Bill sat in the chair and the camera flashed away.  He was getting tired and our time was drawing near to leave.  We had one more stop to make before we

headed to our room.  The cemetery sits to the side of the church where his mother rests.  We took my bouquet to her grave before we left.

The day had been full of memories, but Bill was growing tired.  We headed to our room at the Walden Inn.  I was so happy the family had thought of this.  It was nice to not have to drive back home that night, but I  was not expecting this perfect day to turn into a morning  full of fear.

Mike, Jackie and Patty made sure we made it to the room.  Patty took a picture at the last moment that captured Bill, looking like my sweet William before his illness. It is  one of my favorite pictures of  us together.

It was late and I was hungry, so I ordered a hamburger and went down to get it.  This was not your typical wedding evening, that is for sure.  I ate, watched the news and went to bed.  Bill would get up throughout the night to use the bathroom and each time he did, I was awake, to make sure he was all right.  I noticed at one point he was a little unsteady on his feet, but I just thought it might be from being so tired, but early in the morning, he returned from the bathroom and he was walking as though he'd had a little too much to drink.  It dawned on me, his portable oxygen tank had to be near empty. He was being deprived of oxygen to his brain and I needed to get him some immediately.