Today is our 40th wedding anniversary.
We were married on a Wednesday night in Lake Forest Illinois.
We basically eloped but had a little service in a Lutheran church.
The pastor and the organist were our witnesses.
I was perfectly fine with this. I don't really like being the center of attention...and I'm frugal.
Aunt Dorothy took me shopping on Michigan Ave and we picked out shoes and a mohair cape and high heel shoes....and a darling Albert Nipon dress.
I don't remember anything about the service. I do remember toddling down the aisle feeling like I was tiptoeing.
After the service we drove in the dark to downtown Chicago.
We stayed in the penthouse at the Tremont where we were greeted with balloons and 'fake' champaign. We ate at a restaurant in the hotel called Crickets. We sat side by side.
The next day, Thanksgiving, nothing was open. We wandered around the empty, cold city until we found a dive that WAS open. Patrick remembers eating cold turkey. I remember the big waves on Lake Michigan.
We watched It's a Wonderful Life.
When you go into marriage, you intend for it to last.
Little did we know how hard that task would be.
But we must have the right amount of
stubborness,
faith,
commitment
forgiveness,
and
love.
Cause, trust me, getting along with each other did not come naturally!
I'd say it's a supernatural achievement.
God helped us.
He helped us chose one another and keep trying.
And when we acted unloveable...
He helped us love the unloveable.
*****
Love seems the swiftest but it is the slowest of all growths. No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century. ~Mark Twain
Encourage one another,
Donna
Wonderful post, Donna.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary!
I love this photo, the cape is very chic!
(BTW, Great quote by Twain)
Happy Happy Anniversary!♥️
ReplyDeleteHappy Happy Thanksgiving! Soooooo much to be thankful for these days.♥️
You get the cutest couple award for both photos! ♥️
Happy Anniversary again and many, many more.
Happy Anniversary!! What lovely photos. The Cape 😍.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary!! Thank you for sharing your story. 😊 Yes, marriage is hard. My husband and I have said, "We made a vow before God and we will stay committed no matter how difficult it becomes." We are grateful we have stuck it out. It's a blessing to come out the other side of difficult times.
ReplyDeleteso true...
DeleteCongratulations! Your wedding day sounded perfect. May you have at least 40 more years together and then, there's eternity!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Donna and Patrick, I love your commentary on marriage. How accurate, but a perspective that only someone who has been married a long time could write. Our story is much like yours, only 10 years older. We have been married almost 51 years. We were married young, he was 19 and I was 21. He was in basic training in South Carolina and I lived in Kansas. I flew out and we were married by the Catholic priest on post at 5:00 on a Saturday night. The people seated in the church were those waiting for confession. I do not know who the witnesses were. We had to ride the bus to a motel downtown, and my new husband was sick with the flu. A weekend pass was only 24 hours long so he had to be back on post by 5:00 Sunday. I caught a taxi to the airport and flew back home.
ReplyDeleteMarriage is HARD work under the best of circumstances. He finished basic training and immediately went to advanced training. Then he had a week back here in Kansas and went to Vietnam for 11 months. We began with nothing - not even a car. After we were married and had two children I finished my bachelor's degree and received a masters degree. He worked for 4+ years to receive his bachelor's degree.
I tell young couples that there will be times they will need ten times more tolerance than they feel love at that moment. We still have our moments. We are far more different than alike, but we give each other space to pursue our own interests. We were blessed in that we came from families where there were few divorces. That is no longer true. All of our siblings have been divorced as have most of our cousins. By the grace of God neither of us have been involved with drugs, alcohol abuse, gambling, abuse of money or infidelity - things that are often deal breakers. Our health is good and there have been few times of heartbreaking stress in our lives, but our faith in God and belief in seeking God's will has held us steady through the good easy times and the difficult hard times. If I have to be in "lock down" with anyone, I would choose him!
Dee S.
Thank you for sharing your story. I loved reading about your marriage! Congrats on 51 years! With the help of the Lord!
DeleteHello, Donna,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your anniversary! Your comments ring true as my husband and I celebrated 35 years in August. Marriage is all those things you mentioned so beautifully in a nutshell. You have such a gift with writing.
I have read your blog for years...since the days of your posts on The Pioneer Woman, with photography hints. You are such an inspiration to others with your words, photographs, reflections and wisdom. I don't post much, but am a faithful reader. Please keep doing what you do. Your posts are a bright spot in my days. :)
Thank you for such a nice comment Pamela!! I'm so glad you are here.
DeleteI love the Mark Twain quote, don't remember ever hearing about the cold turkey.... :)
ReplyDelete