Family Matters: Bill Reed's 75th Birthday!

Friday, May 6, 2011

Bill Reed's 75th Birthday!

Kath and Bill
Photo Credit: Mark Jones

Today is my husband's 75th birthday! This, in itself, is quite an accomplishment. Bill suffered is first of many heart attacks when he was 42 years old. He's had two triple-bypass heart surgeries and double stents put in. And yet yesterday we indulged in one of our guilty pleasures -- riding our bikes the eleven miles to Loveland. Bill has always loved exercise, and his cardiologist would be the first one to tell you that that is the reason he is still here.

Bill is my second husband. He has one daughter, Julie, from his previous marriage. We met when I was a divorced single parent of a less than three-year old daughter. When we started dating, my daughter who was used to having me all to herself, did not feel like we needed anyone else in our lives. He hung in there, however, and we were married 5 1/2 years later.

Roland, Bill, and Kathy on Elixir

Bill is NOT defined by his health. One of his favorite passions was sailing. For more than 30 years, Bill spent just about every weekend from May through October on whatever boat he had at the time. As I grew up in a family of "stink boaters," having a sailboat was "heresy." Now our son-in-law, Roland, is Elixir's owner and captain.

We have been married for 24 years. Not only was Bill a "father" to my daughter, but now has the privilege of being a "grandfather" to Ian. I've been blessed by knowing him for thirty years. The joke in our family is that Bill is always on the verge of "dying." When we decided to get married, I was led to believe I'd only have to make it through a couple of years (since he'd be dead before too long). Not only have I shared most of my adult life with him, but we've also been able to travel together all over the United States, Canada, Europe and Israel. He is the BEST travel companion. We know how to accommodate each other's health issues.

So I wish the best for Bill as we move forward from here. I'm grateful for the wonderful partner he is.