Thirty-four years ago

May 11, 1986

Donald and I stood together in a small chapel in Atlanta in front of friends and family to be joined in matrimony and promised to try our best.  


We promised to be kind to one another.

To respect one another.

To stick together through thick and thin.

And privately, we promised to have adventures and laugh a lot.

Along with our vows we shared these words; 
"Grow old along with me.  
The best is yet to be - the last of life for which the first was made." 


Promises are sometimes hard to keep.  It hasn't all been sunshine and roses, but because we believe in promises, and because we never stopped believing in one another, we have triumphed over some rough spots. 

   So - all in all, we've done pretty good and have grown stronger together.

Since that day we've celebrated our anniversary in many ways, in many places.

Quiet dinners at home.  

Dinners out.  

Pizzas delivered.

On the beach.

In the mountains.
Even a few concerts.

At home or abroad.

And sometimes we forget just exactly how many years we've been married.

But we both agree, we'd do it again.

This year we'll be celebrating at home in Meat Camp, NC.

Just me, Donald and Annabelle.

And we'll take a few minutes to count our blessings.

While we don't agree on every single thing, we do agree that on this day, right now, we are happy to be alive, to be together and happy that we are healthy.

Who knows what the days ahead might bring?

Silly to try to guess.

Who would have thought that from one anniversary to the next our life normal as we'd known it for so many years would change as quickly and as drastically as it has.

Another thing Donald and I do agree on is that come November 3rd, even if we have to dig up hazmat suits from somewhere, or scrape them together from bits and pieces from home  - from heavy duty plastic garbage bags, face masks and disposable gloves -  we will cast our votes for a new president, new representatives, and a return to the United States we knew back on May 11, 1986.

Boy Howdy.

"Union gives strength." 

         ~ Aesop