Artist’s Quote: “It was character that got us out of bed,
commitment that moved us into action, and discipline that enabled us to follow
through.” Zig Ziglar
The first of April marks our fifty-third anniversary of
wedded bliss. April Fools Day, 1960 seemed like a good day to get married. We
were young, foolish and in love, we didn’t care what day it was, we were ready
for the big plunge.
Yes, we plunged into deep waters and neither of us knew how
to swim. We didn’t think to take a life jacket with us. Why? Because we thought
we could live on love. We didn’t know
about sharks or how deep the water could be. Maybe it was a good thing.
Al’s mother reminded me many times over the years that Al
carried me on a silver platter and he was too good to me. I wasn’t complaining.
I always chalked it up to the idea that he was paying more attention to me than
to her. Bless her soul. I guess I could have been nicer to her.
In a sentimental moment, I said to our daughter, “I think
your Dad and I are going to renew our vows. We will do it over next Christmas
vacation when everyone is here.”
She said, “Why? I don’t get it.”
I was taken back by what she said. I didn’t have a good
enough reason to explain to her, so I said, “Well, Bob and Carolyn are going to
renew their vows and I thought it would be a special thing.”
“You’re married, why do people think they need to do it
again?”
“I don’t know. Maybe, I’m getting a little sentimental. I
thought we should while I’m amicable and your Dad still remembers.”
Al popped up, “Maybe, I don’t want to do it again.”
I was dumbfounded, “Of course, you want to. Haven’t I made
your life exciting and fun?”
I turned my attention back to our daughter. “I was eighteen
and I didn’t know what I was doing.”
“Apparently, it is working.”
“A lot of water has run under this bridge.”
And she replied, “And the bridge is still holding.”
“The reason I thought it would be nice to renew our vows, the
first time it was all fun and games and a party.”
“Well, if you want to have a party,” she said, “Let’s have
one and forget about the preacher.”
Wow! That idea was shot in the head. Maybe, I need to
re-visit my initial thought. I’m going to have to table the idea for a while
until I have a good reason. Maybe our daughter is right, we must be doing
something right, the bridge is still holding. Is renewing our vows going to
make any difference? I don’t think so. Life keeps flowing by.
The day after that conversation, Al’s truck was in the
garage and he needed to borrow my car. No problem, everything we have belongs
to both of us.
Right! But the next time I drove the car, and this is what I
found: the radio was blasting, Al had thrown the steering wheel up, pushed the
seat back, adjusted the mirror, and fiddled with all the buttons.
I drove to town with the ECT Power button on, and I looked
everywhere to turn that button off. I told my daughter, “Your Dad messes with
everything in the car. He’s going to have to learn to put things back if he’s
going to drive MY car.”
I got home from town and said to Al, “Don’t mess with those
buttons again or you can’t drive MY car.”
He was dumbfounded. “Well, everything belongs to both of us.
It’s my car, too.”
So here we go, more water running under the bridge. I’m
curious, what makes the difference when you renew your vows again? Do you
change, do you think differently? No longer do you get upset when the radio is
blasting in the car and you have to adjust the seat? I’m just asking. I guess
there won’t be any renewed wedding vows for Al and I for a while. I don’t have
a good enough reason. After all these years, we still haven’t figured it out.
Final Brushstroke!
We will file our joint income tax, and we will pay our property taxes together.
We will continue doing what we have been doing for the past fifty-three years.
We will be there for each other, love each other through sickness and health,
for richer and poorer, until death do we part, BUT, don’t mess with the buttons
on MY car.
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