On Friday evening, August 24, 1973, Janet and I were married during a ceremony that started at 7:00 P.M. That was 52 years ago tonight! It was the culmination of having known each other since we were very young kids and until the last year before we married, I don’t know that it ever occurred to either of us that we would end up together. We came from very similar families – Janet has two sisters and I had two brothers, one of whom is already gone. Our folks were best friends and I used to cut the grass at Janet’s house as one of my lawn jobs – for $1 a week. Our folks spent New Year’s Eve dinners together and I could spend weeks talking about the similarities our families had in common. Janet was always kind – I’ve never known her to be any different. In fact, I even remember the day that she offered me a glass of lemonade on a hot summer day when I was cutting the grass at their home.
The night before our wedding, we had our rehearsal dinner at The Barn – a local private restaurant that we both loved. My family didn’t get to go there often. It was on the pricey side but birthdays and important occasions were celebrated there. Each year, Janet and I recall our rehearsal and dinner – and last evening was no exception. We don’t go out like we used to years ago, having become more home bodies than at any other time in our lives. Thank goodness restaurants don’t depend on us – they would all be out of business – well, save one, a local pub that serves great sandwiches.
Our actual wedding reception was at Beverly Country Club, where Janet’s family belonged. It followed our service at Trinity Methodist Church, where we both grew up in the choirs, Sunday School, Christmas pageants and all the other activities that kids do at church.
All in all, it was a great time dating and then having our wedding so many years ago. As we get older, we spend more time reflecting on the past and our lives together. There is something very comforting about sharing more than 67 years of memories together – and counting. We have shared friends, experiences and things that have helped bind us together throughout the decades. I still carry one of the pictures from when we were dating in my wallet. In fact, it’s still with me every day.
Janet has always been an incredibly kind and helpful person. She helped me care for my maternal grandmother after my grandfather died. She helped me learn to play tennis when I was in college and needed credit in a sport. The same summer, I helped her with a math course, which she barely passed (she got a D in the course). She was apparently a much better teacher than I was.
One of the strengths that we have seen throughout the years is our ability, as a couple, to support one another in our endeavors. Within a year of our wedding, my father got sick and it was a very unsteady time for the four years before his death. And Janet, whose default setting is to have security, has learned to adapt and live the entrepreneurial life with me. It takes a very strong person to deal with the unknowns of building companies – Janet has become an expert. As the saying goes, we have had our ups and downs. But our faith in God has helped up to overcome even the most adverse of circumstances.
As we continue to add years to our relationship, we realize how much we enjoy recalling the past while we recognize the good years still in front of us. We have overcome health challenges and watched all of our children grow into responsible adults in their own right. Now, we are active in the formation of our four grandsons. I’m sure that we will never become irrelevant when it comes to our places in the extended family.
I don’t think that either of us can fathom life without the other. Our lives and very being are so intertwined at this point that we function pretty much of one mind. We rarely disagree and play our respective roles when it comes to helping the rest of our family. In fact, I don’t know another family that is as interactive as ours.
Certainly, God has blessed us throughout the years. And during those years, our faith in God has continued to grow. We have a wonderful life together… I’m sure that within the next several years I will be ready to completely retire. Currently, I probably work a day a week or so but my ministry responsibilities are increasing and my corporate stuff is diminishing. However, I will always welcome the chance to help our younger family members improve and grow in their respective fields.
Our verse for tonight is one I can personally identify with. After all, we were very young when we got married so it resonates in me. Malachi, the author of the last book of the Old Testament, tells us in Malachi 2:15, “Has not [the LORD] made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.”
My encouragement this evening is that I believe that God has a special person in mind for each of us. My prayer is that you have been or will be blessed by being united with that person through the grace of God. Happy Anniversary, Janet! Our love continues strong! Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…