September 23, 1967

It’s been 48 years since this shy, sheltered teenage girl became a wife to that handsome boy-next-door! It seems like only yesterday … but the mirror tells me the truth. The mirror, the scales, the aches and pains … the reality of married life is more than evident.

But it’s been a wonderful life together. We’ve known the blessing of beautiful children and grandchildren, shared the curse of cancer, experienced the heartache of losing parents — each of us supporting the other through all that life together brought our way.

And it’s a comfortable life. We’ve had our share of discomfort through our cancer journeys and our care-giving and our losses. But those tough times showed us that we have what we need in each other to survive … and not just survive, but thrive! We’ve discovered that it’s the hard times that bring us together. The rough spots in the journey remind us that we don’t have forever, so we better spend the time we have enjoying our blessings. We’ve learned to slow down and relax and be comfortable together.

Yeah, the moonlight and roses may have turned to daylight and dishes, but I’d do it all again … as long as I can share the daylight and dishes with the boy next door!