TWO IMPERFECT PEOPLE IN A PERFECT MARRIAGE

Today I celebrate 32 years of being married to the most wonderful man in the world. We were 18 years old, Steve was working part time at a Penney’s Auto Center, I was working full time making $3.10 per hour, we had no assets and no money set aside to buy any; but we were in love. Conventional wisdom would suggest that we had all the strikes against us. I would agree except that we had one thing going for us that would carry us through all the struggles, victories, smiles and tears we would encounter over the next 32 years; we had God at the center of our marriage and a family who wanted us to succeed. It has been said, “There is no perfect marriage.” I disagree!!! Marriage was instituted by God and everything God touches is perfect. A more accurate saying would be “Two imperfect people in a perfect marriage.”

We decided from the beginning that our relationship was more important than possessions; easy to do when there are no possessions. We found joy in the mundane things of life, laughed uproariously at the predicaments we got ourselves into, had dream vacations in the backyard and dined on gourmet pizza once a month if we had coupons. The biggest blessing in our relationship has been the 2 wonderful sons that were entrusted to us. Since then our family has grown to include 2 beautiful daughters-in-law, 2 granddaughters and 1 grandson. God has been truly faithful.

We have lived in gorgeous homes with 4 bathrooms and a small apartment on the back of a church with 1 tiny bathroom; drove new cars with leather seats and 10 year old well rusted vehicles; traveled to the Bahamas on a cruise ship and found enough gas money to take the kids to the beach at Tawas for the day; I have worn clothes from Macy’s and sported ensembles from Walmart; dined on 4 course meals complete with soft music and cloth napkins and shared a foot-long turkey sub from Subway; but through it all only one thing has mattered, that we were walking through life together. Looking back over 32 years I have to say, it has been the perfect marriage for two imperfect people.

I love you Steve with all my heart. You are and will always be my Knight in Shining Armor that makes my heart beat faster by just walking in the room. I would love to try for another 32 years.