50th Wedding Anniversary, Tom Kelly
Thank you for having Edna and myself at this Wedding
Anniversary celebration. We have known Enid and John as a couple for a long
time. Our friendship goes back well over fifty years. We have had the pleasure
of sharing many family occasions. We saw all the kids grow up and were able to
spend some time looking after some of the little ones. In the earlier years we were able to have
good times together with our own young family.
Our lives have often run on parallel lines. We first met in
Mackay in our courting days. During the war, John joined the Air Force and for
a time we were in Townsville together. Eventually we all ended up in Brisbane
together.
I recall some of the problems Enid had with her young
family. One of the kids got a toothpaste
cap caught in his throat. A bit of a
panic ensued then Enid gave him a hit on the back and a quick flip, and the cap
flew out. Another time a couple of the boys were having an argument outside
under the kitchen window. Enid tossed an empty tin at them and managed to catch
one of them on the head. He ran up to his mother with blood streaming down his
face. The ambulance arrived and when the blood was cleaned away, a small
insignificant cut was all there was to see. Another time Enid got her arm
caught in the rollers of the washing machine. I remember that there was so much pressure on
the roller that she couldn’t release it. I could go on and on but I think these
few stories give an idea of the things that can happen in a household with a
young family.
Enid and John must have done everything right in bringing up
their children. They can be justly proud of their children and their
accomplishments. They should also be very proud of themselves and their role in
their children’s lives. If these children use their parents as an example and
follow their ways, they will all do well in life.
I’ve been asked to tell a story from our courting days when
we first met. Going back a long way, Edna and I and Enid and John sometimes
went out together in my little car, a small Austin. We often drove along with
Enid and John in the back and Edna in the front with me. Occasionally John and
Enid would give each other a kiss. It didn’t seem right to me because I had the
steering wheel you see and didn’t have the chance to give Edna a hug and a
kiss. So one day I thought it would be a good idea to set up a little device
and connect it to a switch on the dashboard so when we were driving alone, I
could hit the button and give them a little shock. So every now and then, I’d
give them a bit of a shock. It was all right, not too much. I got a bit of a
laugh but they still got a kiss and cuddle.
The same thing happened with my brother and sister-in-law
when they had a ride with me. The first time it happened my brother said,
’Bloody hell! I just got a shock.’ I replied that it couldn’t happen because
there is no electricity in the back. He said, ‘Put your finger here’ and I did
and of course nothing happened. Then he touched it and I hit the switch again.
With him and with Enid and John, I had the whole thing down to a fine art and
got a great deal of amusement from it.
Anyhow we had a good time then and many years of friendship
since then. We are proud to have been part of their lives for such a long time.
Edna and I congratulate them on fifty years together and wish them continued
happiness.
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