Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Happy Anniversary

Today is Jeff and I's 27th wedding anniversary! That is really hard to believe, how can that many years already have flown by?  I remember hearing couples who had been married for 50 or more years be interviewed. The question was always the same "WHAT'S YOUR SECRET TO A HAPPY MARRIAGE?"   Many of them replied something like..."we never go to bed mad" or "we never argued"...or "we never had a bad thought for each other". Well, if  I said all those things were true in our marriage, I would be lying. I personally think that marriage is a lot of work, but definitely worth it. 

I guess if I were asked how we have kept our marriage happy and going all these  years?  I would  have to say ... we haven't. We have certainly had our hard times, our sad and bad times, but we are still together. I think some of our greatest life savers on our marriage has been .... Date nights ( a time to reconnect with each other ), Forgiveness ( understanding that each of us have our weaknesses ), Love ( no matter how bad life gets, when Jeff holds me in his arms...I can handle anything) Faith ( our knowledge that God lives and that He loves us and will help see us through anything that life gives us ) Respect ( for each other's strengths and opinions) Children ( our kids have been a great reminder to us, that we need to do all that we can to have a happy marriage, so that they will want to have the same) Gratitude( for being married to my best friend and for all the blessings that we have ) and  Knowledge ( knowing that FAMILIES CAN BE FOREVER,is a great motivating factor in our marriage! )

So I will end with this sweet story of true love!

                 How to Dance in the Rain
It was a busy morning, about 8:30 , when an elderly gentleman in his 80s arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.
I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him. I saw him looking at his watch and decided, since I was not busy with another patient, I would evaluate his wound. On exam, it was well healed, so I talked to one of the doctors, got the needed supplies to remove his sutures and redress his wound.
While taking care of his wound, I asked him if he had another doctor's  appointment this morning, as he was in such a hurry.
The gentleman told me no, that he needed to go to the nursing home to eat breakfast with his wife. I inquired as to her health.
He told me that she had been there for a while and that she was a victim of Alzheimer's Disease.
As we talked, I asked if she would be upset if he was a bit late.
He replied that she no longer knew who he was, that she had not recognized him in five years now.
I was surprised, and asked him, 'And you still go every morning, even though she doesn't know who you are?'
He smiled as he patted my hand and said,
'She doesn't know me, but I still know who she is.'
I had to hold back tears as he left, I had goose bumps on my arm, and thought,
'That is the kind of love I want in my life.'
True love is neither physical, nor romantic.
True love is an acceptance of all that is, has been, will be, and will not be. 

"The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
they just make the best of everything they have"
 


 
"Life isn't about how to survive the storm,
but how to dance in the rain"

4 comments:

Maria said...

Lynn I always have to smile when I read your blog. You have the best quotes, stories, pictures and always say sweet things.

Happy Anniversary!!! I love your list of greatest lifesavers for your marriage. I think they are so true. Thanks for that sweet tender story which reminds us of what true love is. ~Maria

*b said...

Congrats on your anniversary!

Brittany

Julie N. said...

Happy Anniversary!! I love this post...your honesty about marriage (great list), the sweet photo, and touching story :-)

Amy said...

What a fabulous story! Thanks for sharing with us! Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! I love you!