This last Monday my Sweetie and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary. 35 years! That translates to over half my life. We looked at each other, and just couldn't believe it.
In our hearts, we are still those two young lovers holding hands as they walked around the flea market. We stopped at a booth, and Jim bought me a stuffed animal. It was two puppy dogs, their paws held together with velcro. As we left, the vendor saw WE were holding hands, smiled and said: "Puppy love!"
My sister Karen, in addition to being a writer, is a talented musician. For our wedding, she wrote and sang a song for us. It was a promise from God, and the main line said: "This gift give I to you, to love one another." It went on to promise that even through floods of trouble, our love would never be washed away.
Well, if you think you can make it for 35 years without going through troubles, you haven't been married long! :-) But, we made it. Neither of us is perfect... far from it. Yet that promise has held, and I think I am finally learning what love really is.
Love is to give without expectancy of return. To love for loves sake alone. A return is just icing on the cake, but it's not the motive for the giving. Love is. Do I DO that all the time?? Nope... but I'm learning.
I'm thankful for that promise all those years ago... that Gift of Love.
Oh... and I still have that stuffed animal!
Edited to add: I dusted off the puppies and added their Portrait at the beginning of this post. :-D
Edited to add: I dusted off the puppies and added their Portrait at the beginning of this post. :-D
Cry of My Heart, by Terry Butler
Enjoy the Journey,
Loretta
Day 1158
