My mother, Phyllis Schlafly, signed all of her letters "Faithfully, Phyllis".
Faith was the key to the life of Phyllis Schlafly. She had faith in God and Jesus Christ as her Savior. She was faithful in her marriage to her husband, Fred. She was faithful to our nation, the United States of America. Phyllis spent her life promoting and protecting America.
Today is the anniversary of her death on September 5, 2016. I honor the legacy of my mother's faithfulness. Her word was always true and she was always faithful.
The 43-year marriage of my parents is a study in fidelity. My father fully supported my mother in four key ways: spiritually, financially, intellectually, and emotionally. He was her rock. Fred Schlafly also protected my mother; I well remember the day when he summarily fired a male employee who attempted to get physically close to my mother. My mother cared for my father during his lengthy decline into dementia and Fred died at home. She then had 23 years of widowhood and never considered remarriage or removing her wedding ring. As Paul Newman said, "I have steak at home; why should I go out for hamburger?"
Their passion for truth, justice, and the American way is an inspiration to me. This year, my husband passed away from cancer. As I grieve, I am consoled by remembering his faithfulness to me and my faithfulness to him. I was blessed with a very happy and successful marriage to a man who protected me and supported me in the four key ways.
Today, fidelity is undervalued and mocked. Young people are encouraged to explore a wide range of emotional and sexual experiences. "Bisexual" and "pansexual" are euphemisms for unfaithfulness. But my mother and I can attest that there is no substitute for the satisfaction that comes from a faithful marriage. Both of us wished for more time with our wonderful husbands.
I was fortunate to both witness and experience marriage as not just fidelity, but high fidelity.