LIFE GOES ON

Or more appropriately, “Life is what happens when you are making other plans”.

Thirty three years ago today on June 26, 1976, I entered into a lifelong commitment with Barbara Ann (cue the Beach Boys here). More properly called a covenant relationship known as marriage.

Nothing has turned out as I thought it would. We talked of four children, we have three. Two here, one in heaven. The first two children are beautiful girls. Our oldest child is thriving in her own right, living and working in Germany and growing wiser every day. Our second daughter died in the seventh month of pregnancy from trisome 18 (everything a Downs Syndrome child has and more). Our youngest, a son, came to us in the second month of his life through adoption, or as my brother calls it, “the paperwork method”. He too is growing wiser every day but he lives at home and like many folks today, is looking for work.

It was always our intention to be married “until death do you part”. However, I have been taking it in stages based on my heroes in marriage, our parents. The first step was to be married as long as Barb’s parents before her mother died. We made that a few years ago. Then it was to be married as long as my parents before my father died. We make that mark today! Next up is being married as long as my father-in-law and mother-in-law. They were both widowed and found love again for 35 years before death once again did part. After that goal is reached, the magic number is 50. A number of our aunts and uncles have attained that mark so we look to their lives for inspiration and reason for matching their accomplishments.

This anniversary time is always bittersweet. Today we celebrate being married. Tomorrow we celebrate our second daughter’s feast day. While the pain of losing her will never go away, the joy of knowing she is resting comfortably in God’s loving embrace and the pleasure of her six grandparents sustains us.

Despite all the ups and downs through the years, Barbara Ann still loves me. Life is good.