Good Morning, God!
WOWSIE! Sixty-three years married — and as Kit loves to say, AND ALL TO THE SAME PERSON! Who would have thought it? Although, I did anticipate the 50th wedding anniversary. My family has done well. I am the fourth generation — we are the fourth generation to have celebrated a fiftieth wedding anniversary. But SIXTY? And then 63? WOWSIE!!! INDEED!
Coming out of the restaurant last evening an earnest young woman asked for our “secret” . . . and shared her hope for a long marriage. I gave her an answer — saying we were both good at apologizing! And that really does help. But, then later I started to give it a little thought. And the real “credit” goes to YOU, God. You are the one whose Love Never Fails.
I remember the words of our instructor in the Marriage and the Family course we took at Stanford. Donʻt think you can each do 50 50! Expect periods of having to give 100%. Maybe 110%. You will both fall short. And sometimes at the same time. OH MY, HOW TRUE!
So Kit and I have both “fallen short of the glory of God” as St. Paul says. But the belief that we are loved and forgiven by You has helped us to love and forgive ourselves and each other. And we do love, respect and enjoy each other. But the foundation is that we are fellow humans, created and loved by YOU. That is so much! That foundation means that we can depend on You for a sense of meaning and worth. How wonderful to have You as a “safety net.”
Still. . . Oh my! How can I convey how many adjustments and adaptations have been required. How surprising it was — and still is — to live and love a person of another gender! Thank goodness for Deborah Tannen and her work on gender differences! Now the good news is that Kit is a Good Man. I started to list his virtues but the list got too long and then I realized that wasnʻt the point, anyway! Kit is REAL. He is mine as I am his. We are still enjoying “being with” each other — the touching, the listening and the laughing together.
An extra word on laughter. Kit loves to make me laugh. I think it was Joanne Woodruff who said that being married to a movie star (Paul Newman) was all very well. But being married to a man who made her laugh — was priceless! I agree and I am thankful!
So, yes, I am so Thankful God for the gift of life and the gift of life together with Kit. Yea, GOD!
