My husband and I recently celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary. I obviously was a child bride. My hubby gave me forty-five roses, one for each year of marriage. In some ways, it seems like just yesterday. We were so young and yet felt so mature. Now, I look at dewy-eyed brides of a similar age and wonder about my naivety. I was almost finished with law school and felt wise beyond my years. In reality, I was book smart but not necessarily street smart. I hadn’t yet gained the wisdom that is gleaned from experience. I didn’t know enough about life to know that I actually knew very little. We kind of grew up together as we forged our life together.
In other ways, our wedding day feels like a distant memory. The time has flown by in the blink of an eye. There is so much water under the bridge, you could float a cruise ship through it. The currents ebbed and flowed over the years as we faced the inevitable storms of life. But we stayed in the boat and rowed together.
Our family tree is growing. Our youngest son is getting married next month. Four children, four spouses, and ten grandchildren. I honestly didn’t project this far into the future on the day we married. I was more focused on the then and now and what was around the next corner. But now, I look at family photos and see the ripple effect of our love as it flows outward to the next generations…and I am flooded with joy and contentment.
