My One Grand Regret: Free Words of Advice That One Day You May Find to be a Priceless Gift.

By Joseph P. Badame

The loss of a dearly loved spouse is never easy to endure, especially after a life-long marriage. The grieving can be overwhelming and never ending. It is not something that anyone wants to contemplate but we feel that we have some idea of the nature of the suffering. We do not. I did not. No matter how deep and loving the marriage was, the finality of death will consume any comfort that we may have that we will have no regrets when the awful time comes. There will be regrets. Foremost among the regrets will be that which was said that should not have been said and that which was not said that should have been said. This short story reveals an approach to a marital relation that can help to prevent those regrets from occurring. I learned this too late while I was writing this short story and its companion book, “I Married My Teacher.” Don’t learn the lesson too late as I did. Take the time to read and learn. It can save you or your dear spouse unnecessary pain during a time when pain will be in abundance.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Joseph P. Badame
• Release date: Nov 8, 2014
• ISBN: 9781311817099

Joseph P. Badame

Joseph Badame is a retired architect living in New Jersey. He is spending his remaining years working on projects to honor his late wife who was a master teacher. This book is one of his endeavors to pay tribute to her memory.

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Copyright © 2014

by Joseph P. Badame

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Written by

Joseph P. Badame

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by Joseph P. Badame

"Among the many loving things a man can do for his woman,

his soul mate, his love, his bride are these four:

To love her passionately and unconditionally;

To inspire and rejoice in her happiness;

To suffer with her by her side during her trials;

To honor her by writing adoringly about her when she is gone

God has gifted me the privilege to have done all four.

I have accomplished all that is of any importance in my life.

Lord, my work is complete.

I am ready to join her when You call."

Phyliss and Joseph Badame

My Teacher, My Bride

In the Peace Corps in Tunisia

Circa, 1969 - A lifetime ago

Lovingly dedicated to Phyliss

A Master Teacher all her life – still teaching after she is gone

MY ONE GRAND REGRET

Free words of advice that, one day, you may find to be a priceless gift.

In some things in life we only get one chance. I learned too late, but you don’t have to.

Phyliss and I began our wonderful voyage through life as teacher and student in the eighth grade.

From the first day we met until she died we knew each other for fifty-six wonderful years. We were married for forty-five of those years. I wish it could have been more. I am very greedy.

I think those who knew us, would agree, she was the perfect wife. I was a very good husband, better than many, maybe, better than most.

We were each other’s constant companions. We shared every activity. We rejoiced together with each triumph and cried together with every loss. We did everything together with joy, and shared every responsibility.

From what I have come to understand from my observations over the years, I know it was not a marriage experience for every couple. Every pair seems to have their own ideas about what an ideal marriage is. We wanted to be together constantly, we were together constantly. It never entered our minds to go anywhere or experience any activity without the other. I am sure there are couples that would feel suffocated by that thought. But, even so, we mutually agreed that our idea of marriage was heaven for us. We were one. We would not have had it any other way.

We were truly happy and in love, always. I don’t remember a single