Sunday we went to the beach to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary.
Yes I said ’40th’.
I can hardly imagine or believe it has been that long.
We were 18 and 19 and very much believing in the fairy tale life.
When you are young all you have is your parents to follow as examples
or the Walton’s on TV.
We played house for the first few years not really knowing how to do it or what that even meant.
Not ever understanding the hard work it would take throughout the years ahead of us
to remain faithful through the good times and the bad.
To encourage and believe in each other.
To be cheerleaders for each other when others pulled us down or under and to pray for each other when we just couldn’t pray for ourselves.
To face life together with one goal and one direction and that was forward.

The blessing and prayer

At the altar we bent down in the posture of prayer in front of all those who were invited and we prayed the prayer that all newly married couples should pray. 
Lord help us.  
On the afternoon of November 3rd many years ago.
We entered the room alone and left as a family.
Life changed in new and different ways for each of us.
We chose after a few months of being married to start a family.
Our son came first then our daughter a few years later.
Our family of four grew and changed and so did we.
Throughout the challenging and difficult times of being young and married.
We chose to to remain faithful through the good and not so good.
There were health issues and heart issues we worked on and through.
Each one of them brought us over again and again to the decision to remain together.
I won’t tell you it has always been easy.
But I will say we sought counsel and guidance when we couldn’t figure out the issues between us.
No one told us it would be easy to share life together.
Sometimes life is messy and difficult and hard and confusing.
But through all that we made it.
It has been a blessing to walk together each year and see how our lives have changed.
We are grandparents now and we are growing old together.
We are blessed beyond all that we could ever imagine.
Living life together has been good and hard and stretching and peaceful.
Isn’t that the way it’s supposed to be?
We’ve been through it all ~ the good, the bad, the very good, the very bad, and the inspiring moments that make it all worth while ~ and you have been there with me every step of the way. 
No one else could be such a loving and wonderful partner.
God knew ahead of time that we needed to be with each other.
Happy Anniversary… to us.