Our 50th Anniversary In appreciation of my wife. My lover, best friend, supporter, encourager, protector, and the love of my life. Some things I have loved about 50 years with my wife, Jo Ann. Most of these are very simple pleasures and might seem of little value to most, but are precious to me. The first signs of spring. New life, the end of a cold winter,new beauty, warmth, budding trees and the first sight of flowers. A morning sunrise as it peaks it's rays through the trees and glistens in the cool mist. Christmas time. Jo Ann's favorite time of the year. Oh, I love it too. The decorations, the music, the colorful lights that twinkle in the darkness. Yes, I even love shopping. I love the crowds the traffic, and the smiles scattered about. And that special time we look forward to when our sons and their families gather and we celebrate the joy of giving. The beauty of the deer in our yard. Their gracefulness and alertness as they perk their ears at the slightest sound. The choruses and night sounds of summer as the crickets, and birds, and other creatures fill the air with their songs. The beauty of the Ozark mountains. We love to scan the colorful trees, and feast upon the wildflowers on the roadsides. The early mornings as we enjoy a cup of coffee together, and grab a few minutes to just sit, hold hands feel each others touch. Giving what we have to others in need so their life will be better. But the love, laughter, and fun times have also been laced with clouds of sorrow, and pain so deep that neither of us could speak. We grieved the loss of two pre-born children, but celebrated the birth of two wonderful sons. We have both said our goodbyes to our moms and dads as we walked away from a tent and new mounds of earth where they would be laid to rest. We loved the times when we saw our sons take their first steps, and then we grieved as we watched them walk away to be joined with their wives, and to bear our Grandchildren. We have held each other up when life beat us to the ground, and stretched forth our hands for our God to give new strength, and then clasped our hands together to tackle life again. We have laughed, we have loved, we have played, and lived life together. No, we didn't just exist together, we lived a full life. And even with the dark clouds of despair, heartache, sorrow, and wounds, we still loved life. Many years ago my wife said, " I want us to grow old together." Well, we've done that, and done so with no regrets. So what do we do now? We clasp our hands together, and join our hearts to our Lord and say, " let's go make a difference. Let's make life better for someone else, and look forward to many more years to love, to laugh, and to play." I love you, my dear one |
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