Most people think thirteen is unlucky, but not our family. The way my dad always told the story, my four siblings and I wouldn\u2019t be here if he\u2019d been led to any other number.<\/p>\n
Back in 1941, Dad spent his Saturday nights at \u201cThe Nixon,\u201d a dance hall on the corner of 52nd and Market streets in Philadelphia. He could dance the waltz and do the jitterbug just as well as Fred Astaire. The girls dressed up and styled their hair like Ginger Rogers. Some wore silver slippers, while the more skilled dancers wore gold. In those days, when a guy wanted to dance with a girl, he had to sign up for a song on her dance card ahead of time\u2013and every guy wanted to sweep Peg Oestreich off her feet.<\/p>\n
Dad was chatting with his buddy when he first saw her walk into the dance hall. Stunningly beautiful, with dark brown eyes and shoulder-length brown hair. Her slippers? Gold. Dad waited in the crowd to sign her card, and they danced to \u201cThe Anniversary Waltz.\u201d He was completely smitten. If only he could kiss her, just once!<\/p>\n
New Year\u2019s Eve was coming up. Maybe he could snag Peg for the midnight dance! Then he could give her a New Year\u2019s kiss. Dad spent every Saturday counting songs and figured out which dance would fall on the magic moment\u2013number thirteen.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat can\u2019t be right,\u201d Dad said to himself. \u201cThat\u2019s bad luck!\u201d Had he made a mistake? Should he sign up for the twelfth or fourteenth? What if he was too early, or too late? On New Year\u2019s Eve, Dad ran to the dance hall, but Peg was already surrounded. By the time he got to sign her dance card, only one choice remained. Thirteen.<\/p>\n
At 11:55, the bandleader called their song. \u201cHarvest Moon\u201d began to play. Dad took Peg\u2019s hand. At that moment, he didn\u2019t care if the song lasted until midnight\u2013he was happy just to dance with her.<\/p>\n
Then it happened. 10, 9, 8<\/em>\u2026 The entire dance hall counted down. 3, 2, 1\u2026 HAPPY NEW YEAR<\/em>! Peg looked into his eyes, and Dad delivered the perfect New Year\u2019s kiss.<\/p>\n Mom and Dad started \u201cgoing steady\u201d that night, which led to 44 years of marriage, five children, four grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren\u2013a growing family that all began with one \u201cunlucky\u201d number.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Most people think thirteen is unlucky, but not our family. The way my dad always told the story, my four siblings and I wouldn\u2019t be here if he\u2019d been led to any other number. Back in 1941, Dad spent his Saturday nights at \u201cThe Nixon,\u201d a dance hall on the corner of 52nd and Market […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":28368,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"ep_exclude_from_search":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[173],"tags":[51,60],"ppma_author":[1490],"class_list":["post-19390","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marriage","tag-inspirational-stories","tag-new-years"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n