I just remembered what I had planned to mention this morning. I think my brain is still on vacation. . . .
Today is our 49th wedding anniversary! That’s worth putting out there into cyberspace, right? Forty-nine years that went so fast, in retrospect, that I can hardly believe it’s true.
Forty-nine years. Four children. Nine grandchildren. Showers of blessing. Friends, church, work, other family members have all enriched our lives beyond measure.
A young man who was my seat mate on the journey to South Dakota asked me what the secret was for such a long marriage. That’s easy.
Commitment. A promise is a promise, and you don’t break promises–especially to the person you marry, because that is a sacred union created and blessed by God.
So whenever there was a crisis–and there were many, large and small–divorce was never an option. We had said, “I DO!” and we meant it. We found ways to compromise; we learned to be better listeners. Neither of us has to be right all the time, so neither of us has to be wrong all the time. There is a balance that grows as each situation is worked through. We rarely disagree these days. Usually, it’s just not worth the time and effort.
The biggest irritants we have now involve old-age things, like hearing loss–which, believe me, can create some extremely irritating moments–and short-term memory issues.
“Linda, do you know where my keys are?”
“Where did you have them last?”
“In the CAR!” 
“Did you look there?”
“Not yet. I was hoping maybe you picked them up.”
“Nope, don’t think so. I’ll check, though.”
“Ter? Did you look in the pockets of the pants you had on yesterday?”
“Why would they be there?”
A few beats of silence.
“Okay, I found them. Don’t remember putting them in my pocket, though. You must have done that.”
“Of course I did. That’s what I do, go around putting your keys in your pants pockets.”
“What’s that?”
“Nothing. Never mind. Glad you found them.”
Just Writing! 