Today is our 47th Wedding Anniversay and we'll celebrate by doing our grocery shopping and putting steak on the grill for dinner. Not at all romantic,you say? Well honestly after all this time you just run out of things to do that have that WOW factor!
This morning when I awoke, there was a card sitting on the kitchen table. I knew who it was from without opening it since the only other human in the house is my hubby. Our dog, Shadow, lives with us, but she isn't much for card stores and such. Usually a lick or two on my leg is her way of expressing her undying love for me.
There were only seven words on the front of the card: My Wife, the Love of My Life. Need I say more? After all we've been through, I am still the love of his life, and he's mine! Yes, we've lived,loved, and laughed, but we've also argued and cried. We've celebrated births, milestones, and success, but we've also endured sickness, death, and failure. We've earned handsomely, purchased a beautiful home, and raised three amazing children, but there were many times when money was tight, and our kids gave us fits. Yet here we are, 47 years into it, and nothing has been able to sever our bond.
'Celebrating the day I put a ring on your finger and promised to love you forever and thanking you for making that promise so easy to keep,' are the words gracing the inside of this card. Now the first part of the sentence, I believe. I knew his promise was forever the day we married, I could see it in his eyes.
But as far as 'making that promise so easy to keep' is a far stretch of the truth. I know myself quite well. I'm stubborn, opinionated, and self-righteous. I've been blessed with an above average intelligence, and truly believe my decisions are sound and for the betterment of all involved.Trying to change my mind is like trying to dig to the core of the earth with a teaspoon, an exercise in futility. No, I haven't made his promise easy to keep, but I've made it challenging, that's for sure!
Before taking responsiblity for all our trials and tribulations though, hubby isn't without his faults. He wa an engineer before retirement. Everything to him is black and white devoid of much in the way of feelings and emotion. He'd rather think than speak, and is definitely a home body. Going to dinner even with friends will elicit a 'huh' and a 'yep' as his contribution to conversation. You guessed it, he'd rather eat than speak, and making small talk is painful for him.
So here we are with all our shortcomings and still together. Perhaps we could be considered the poster couple for the institution of marriage. Despite our differences, we both believe in the vows we made to each other 47 years ago. We had no idea then what those promises entailed, but once said we were determined to live them until death do us part.
No, I didn't get hubby a card. I've never gotten him one in all these years. I think that when I agreed to marry him, he inherited the job. By the way, he does choose some lovely ones. He always tells me the cards he picks say what he feels in his heart for me, but just can't put into words. I believe him.
So before you poo-poo at the manner in which we choose to celebrate our 47th Wedding Anniversary, remember that our fridge will be LOADED AND our steaks, RARE! When you're married as long as we've been, hopefully you'll be able to say the same!
Happy Anniversary, hubby, here's to at least three more! If we don't make it to our 50th, I'll be pissed because I've hung in there all this time for that BIG PARTY OUR KIDS ARE OBLIGATED TO THROW!
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