The jewel, the ruby, is traditionally known as the jewel for a 40th wedding anniversary. Well, this past June 29, there were no rubies exchanged or given but the memories and gratitudes were just as treasured as a ruby would have been. Yes, The Husband and I were married for 40 years this past Saturday. 40 years. That's quite a long time by some standards, by other standards, not so much.
Forty years in our world contained and continues to contain joys and sorrows, gains and losses, and faith, mercy, and love. I say that The Husband and I haven't argued much in the past forty years. We have disagreed on occasion but have met in the middle in a thing called "compromise".
As I pondered that day forty years ago, I couldn't remember exactly what I did in preparation. I though of the long sleeved, high necked lace bodice wedding gown with the lace veil. I thought of those mint green dresses and dark green tuxedos with the groom in that solid white. I remember my mema and my granny being there and I remember that my daddy stood straight then as we walked down that aisle of our old church. Odd what we remember. (For pictures, see "34 YEARS" post from June, 2013 on this blog.)
I think of all the times The Husband waited through my many surgeries, some serious enough to be uncertain of the outcome. It seems like he's had to do a world of waiting and caregiving for me--hence that sickness and health vow, I guess. We've enjoyed many vacations together. We have worshipped together in our church almost every Sunday unless there was one of those sicknesses mentioned above in this paragraph or one of those many vacations. The Husband is a good man, not a perfect man, but perfect for me. My heart seems to grow with gratitude more and more with each passing day.
The Husband suggested a couple of weeks ago that we go on a weekend trip. We could celebrate our anniversary but more than that he thought I needed some serious rest. I thought he needed some serious seafood so I chose St. Simons Island. Man it was hot. I got some serious rest in the air conditioning and we got some serious seafood at every meal...with the exception of a breakfast meal. He actually had crab at the other breakfast meal. A first for him for breakfast. As we sat in the Cafe Frederica on the morning of our anniversary breakfast, we looked around at the other diners, all of them looking older than us. Not by much but older anyways. The Husband said, "Who would have thought forty years ago we would be sitting in a restaurant eating breakfast and surrounded by senior citizens? And that we would fit right in?" We both got a laugh at the truth of that statement.
I figure you would enjoy seeing just a few of the few pictures I took on the trip. And if you wouldn't enjoy seeing a few pictures, just scroll on through the rest of this post. :)
Anniversary morning we took a walk on the beach, visiting the beach at Jekyll Island and the Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island. Beach hair, don't care.
This looks like a sea monster or something...
And then there were birds, of course......
Would you look at these models? They weren't perspiring, they were SWEATING....but looking "cool as cucumbers". Isn't that what models do?
Most likely, our marriage has seen more anniversaries behind than it will see ahead. I am assured in my faith that my Lord has been in all those passed and will be in all those in the future. When death parts us, I am assured even more that we will both someday be in heaven face to face with Jesus.
Yes, much to be grateful for....surpasses the worth of rubies by a landslide!
Consider.....
Forty years in our world contained and continues to contain joys and sorrows, gains and losses, and faith, mercy, and love. I say that The Husband and I haven't argued much in the past forty years. We have disagreed on occasion but have met in the middle in a thing called "compromise".
As I pondered that day forty years ago, I couldn't remember exactly what I did in preparation. I though of the long sleeved, high necked lace bodice wedding gown with the lace veil. I thought of those mint green dresses and dark green tuxedos with the groom in that solid white. I remember my mema and my granny being there and I remember that my daddy stood straight then as we walked down that aisle of our old church. Odd what we remember. (For pictures, see "34 YEARS" post from June, 2013 on this blog.)
I think of all the times The Husband waited through my many surgeries, some serious enough to be uncertain of the outcome. It seems like he's had to do a world of waiting and caregiving for me--hence that sickness and health vow, I guess. We've enjoyed many vacations together. We have worshipped together in our church almost every Sunday unless there was one of those sicknesses mentioned above in this paragraph or one of those many vacations. The Husband is a good man, not a perfect man, but perfect for me. My heart seems to grow with gratitude more and more with each passing day.
The Husband suggested a couple of weeks ago that we go on a weekend trip. We could celebrate our anniversary but more than that he thought I needed some serious rest. I thought he needed some serious seafood so I chose St. Simons Island. Man it was hot. I got some serious rest in the air conditioning and we got some serious seafood at every meal...with the exception of a breakfast meal. He actually had crab at the other breakfast meal. A first for him for breakfast. As we sat in the Cafe Frederica on the morning of our anniversary breakfast, we looked around at the other diners, all of them looking older than us. Not by much but older anyways. The Husband said, "Who would have thought forty years ago we would be sitting in a restaurant eating breakfast and surrounded by senior citizens? And that we would fit right in?" We both got a laugh at the truth of that statement.
I figure you would enjoy seeing just a few of the few pictures I took on the trip. And if you wouldn't enjoy seeing a few pictures, just scroll on through the rest of this post. :)
Anniversary morning we took a walk on the beach, visiting the beach at Jekyll Island and the Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island. Beach hair, don't care.
This looks like a sea monster or something...
And then there were birds, of course......
Would you look at these models? They weren't perspiring, they were SWEATING....but looking "cool as cucumbers". Isn't that what models do?
Most likely, our marriage has seen more anniversaries behind than it will see ahead. I am assured in my faith that my Lord has been in all those passed and will be in all those in the future. When death parts us, I am assured even more that we will both someday be in heaven face to face with Jesus.
Yes, much to be grateful for....surpasses the worth of rubies by a landslide!
Consider.....
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