Lots of changes in the last 44 years, it was a first having my better half post anniversary wishes on Facebook this morning! We have tried our best to change with the times, not stay back in the 70's. When we first married he was in his second year of college and I was barely 18. I imagine many of our friends and relatives thought our marriage was doomed from the start. Those first few years were very hard, disappointments when our life didn't go as we had planned. That was the first mistake, thinking life would go as planned!
I got out my wedding dress a couple weeks ago, it's stored in a zipped garment bag now and has turned a cream color over the years. It has the smell that all antique things have, it made me a little sad to see it. It looks so small, I didn't even attempt to put it on! No one ever arrives at 44 years the same, physically or
emotionally. I like to think I've grown in character as well as inches!
Nothing prepares you for marriage, it's one of those things that you just jump into with both feet and hope for the best. No rule book out there, everyone has to work through the hard stuff and appreciate the good stuff! Somewhere around 5 years (or kids, whichever comes first) we have a tendency to forget why we married in the first place. We forget that delicious kiss that took our breath away and it's all work and kids. Too bad we have to go through several more years until we realize that having that person in your life is so much more important than work or meetings or soccer games.
44 years, and today I'm remembering how it felt going that aisle. It was thrilling in a sick-to-my-stomach kind of way, the excitement of a roller coaster and Christmas all rolled into one! That's kind of what happened in the years that followed... it wasn't always smooth sailing, but for the most part we have had beautiful sunsets every single day.
I'm glad I chose you Honey, let's keep the magic going!