Today is my 27th wedding anniversary. My husband, Joe, and I have been together for over 31 years. I’ve been with him over half of my life. That is almost too much to comprehend. I flipped through my wedding album this afternoon with my youngest son, Caeleb, and told him about the people in the pictures. I told him about the years before he was even a twinkle in our eyes. He was soaking up every word and asking some questions that were a little hard to answer at times. But what struck me the most as I looked at the pictures in my album was how much I have changed. Yes, I do not have the smoothest skin, blemish and wrinkle free any longer, but I look at my younger self…my 24 year old self and wish I could go back and tell her a few things.
- Don’t try to keep up with the Joneses. They don’t care nearly as much as you think they do. It doesn’t matter how big your house is, how much money is in your bank account and it surely doesn’t matter what kind of job you have, just be happy.
- Bad things happen. Do the best you can with whatever is thrown your way and you can redeem even the worst of things.
- Don’t take your health for granted.
- Let compassion and love ooze from every part of your being. Always do what is right, listen to your heart, and God will always show up. He will never let you down.
I look at the pictures of my 24 year old self and think about how little I actually knew about the world. It amazes me that I have made it this far and I am grateful to have had some amazing people by my side throughout my life to help me figure it all out. Most especially, I am thankful for my husband, Joe.
We dated in college, broke up, got back together, broke up, got back together…I think you get the picture. When I look back to the people we were in those days I am truly surprised that we got married. What I believe is that God knew all along what was in store for us. He knew that we needed each other because I don’t know if there is anyone else in the world that I could have stood next to during these crazy 31 years. Parents dying, having children with a rare disorder, losing jobs, starting new careers, moving, moving and moving again, and living on one income. We are not where we ever imagined we would be, but our lives are filled with love and the relationships we have with our sons is deep and real and I would not change that for anything.
I’m not sure what is in store for the next chapter of our lives, but with Joe at my side, I have no worries. God blessed me with my soulmate, my best friend. Happy Anniversary, Joe. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Today I Am Thankful For:
- hummingbirds
- healing
- pie
- Christmas lights
- a dog at my feet
