40th Wedding Anniversary

My mom and dad were married 40 years ago today.

They were married the summer before my mom's senior year of high school. One year later, in the summer of '69, my dad was drafted into the army.

While he was in basic training in Alabama my mom received a call that he was deathly ill. "Come quick if you want to see him alive." She was driven to Alabama not knowing if my dad would be alive or dead when she arrived.

Obviously, he survived. After he got well he was shipped off to Vietnam.

I can only imagine how sad my mom was during that time and I can only painfully imagine the things my dad had to endure at the tender age of 19.

When my parents got married they wanted to have 6 children. They tried for years to have children to no avail. Finally, five years after they were married, they had me.

They tried for several more years to have more children. At the age of 27 my mom had to have a hysterectomy. Instead of 6 children they ended up with just one.

Over the last forty years there have been a lot of ups and downs.

They've lived through an unwed pregnancy of their teenage daughter, death of 3 parents, and countless other sorrows.

They've seen that same daughter marry a wonderful man and have enjoyed the birth of two grand babies.

My parents were 17 and 18 years old when they married. The odds were stacked against them. But, yet, 40 years later they are still going strong.

I've learned a lot from them over the years. I'm so glad God picked them to be my parents.

Happy anniversary, Mom and Dad.

I love you!!