Our 42nd Anniversary

We made an agreement before our wedding. We’d stay married for 60 years, then decide whether we wanted to continue with it or not. This year marks 42 years down and 18 to go. Seems like only yesterday, we had a decade down and half-a-century to go. Where has the time gone?

When you spend over 40 years with someone, you make a lot of history and a lot of memories together. I’m thankful for photos because some of those memories have faded. They’re filed so deep that I’ve forgotten they’re there. They need a visual prompt to bring them back. It’s like cleaning out a very-full closet and finding things I forgot I had. It’s thrilling to see them again. They’re a reminder that God blessed us far above what we are able to ask.

Our conversations through the years have changed dramatically. It started on where to live or houses to build or buy, into childrearing which took a considerable amount of conversation, to how and where to retire, and more recently, whether to keep our long-term care insurance or let it lapse. As we come closer to the end, there’s more of a possibility of using it, but man oh man, it’s expensive!

It’s amazing and humbling to be a part of the cycle of life. Our 60-year agreement was based on the 60th anniversary of the old Brother and Sister Cogburn at church. They are long gone, but their memory and their influence remains behind. The same can be said of other people we’ve known throughout our marriage. The influences and impacts of friends should never be underestimated. We carry them along with us whether they’re with us or not.

We’ve spent several anniversaries apart and this year will add another to that total. Some couples might find that unacceptable, but we take it in stride. Celebrating our marriage is not restricted to a single day, but takes place whenever we feel like it. There’s no one else I trust more or rely on more than Hubby. He’s my rock and confidante. It’s been a great 42 years and I look forward to the next 18 years, maybe more. We’ll decide that in in 2036. It’ll be here before we know it.