Oct
17
2018
Anniversary Memories
Posted in Marriage 10 Comments
We had biology class together.
I was not scientifically gifted, though I was in the honors class just like him.
He was not gifted in writing and did not seem to enjoy reading the classics.
Yet, he was in the honors class with me.
He intrigued me.
He sat in the front of math class by choice.
I sat in the back of the room, hoping to hide.
I was not mathematically gifted either.
I was bookish and creative.
He was scientific and methodical.
I loved to talk to people.
He was much quieter.
Opposites attract, I told myself.
I wasn’t quite sure.
We were young and there was time.
We had so many classes together, I was able to watch him from a distance.
It was in biology class that I first noticed his freckles.
I saw the freckles on his hands when we had to use the centrifuge machine in biology.
I admit that I timed my walk to the centrifuge machine so that I would be there with him.
He was clueless about my purposeful timing.
I remember what I thought as I looked at the freckles on his hand.
I wanted that freckled hand to hold mine.
He had no idea of my thoughts.
To him, I was simply using the centrifuge machine to complete an assignment.
I admit that I asked for help when a science lesson was difficult.
I could have asked anyone but I asked him.
He used one of his study halls to help me.
I did pay attention and did understand the lesson but that was not the reason I asked.
I dropped my books once on the stairs as I rushed to class.
I did not intentionally drop them.
I simply tripped.
Unbeknownst to me, he was walking behind me and picked up all the books for me.
I knew where his locker was located.
He knew where my locker was as well.
Sometimes, he would leave the classroom quickly to get to his next class.
Sometimes, he lingered.
When he lingered, we sometimes walked together to our next class.
I remember doing most of the talking.
He did not seem to mind.
I would reach my classroom first and we said goodbye.
We went to the Soph Hop, Junior Prom, and Senior prom together.
He was on stage crew in the fly above the stage.
I was in the annual musical productions, usually in the chorus.
I knew that he was looking at me as he walked across the catwalk.
I heard that our initials were carved in a table in the stage crew room.
That room was not accessible to non stage crew members, so I had no way to verify its truth.
I do know that he carved our initials on a bench outside an ice cream shop.
I could verify that; I was there when he did it.
We saw the original showing of Star Wars, Back to the Future, and Grease.
All the movies that are popular now, we saw on a date when they were released.
We had our favorite pizza place that we went to often.
We had our favorite ice cream shop and our favorite flavors.
He went off to college in Atlanta.
I stayed close to home and commuted to college, while I worked as well.
He sent me flowers on special occasions.
We had our long weekly phone call.
We were engaged on Christmas Day of our senior year of college.
We were married ten months later on a beautiful October day.
We lived in an apartment and three houses over the years.
We have mutual friends that we have known and loved with many shared memories.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres…And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 13)
Today we are married thirty-seven years.
I do not know where the years have gone.
We have had five children together.
Our family is now expanding with Godly spouses and a precious granddaughter.
I look at this man that I have loved for so many years.
He still has freckles on his hands.
His hand instinctively takes hold of mine as I desired all those years ago.
I still talk more than he does; he still does not mind.
The bench, where he carved our initials, is long gone and so is the ice cream shop.
Our favorite pizza place is still there but it has a new name and a different menu.
All the things on the periphery of our life may have changed through the years.
The covenant love we share is constant.
We made a promise to each other thirty-seven years ago.
We have kept that promise.
It matters.
The promise matters.
Such a beautiful love story Gina! Thanks so much for sharing and bringing us back to simpler days, and most of all Happy Anniversary! Thanking the Lord for your wonderful example of His love!
Thank you, Mary!
I am so delighted that that our story blessed your heart.
Blessings,
Gina
What a touching rememberance. As a couple married 47 yrs ago at age 20, we can relate to this lovely song.
Years ago, my then boyfriend now husband cut these words out of our local paper for me:
‘ No matter what life brings to you,
You’ll have the strenght to bare it,
As long as you have love to give
And someone who can share it ”
Author u known
Oh, Linda, how lovely.
I hope you kept those precious words.
Blessings, friend.
Gina
Lovely post–so happy for you and your wonderful family. Having God at the center means every thing. (I also liked the song).
Thank you, Sue. I love the song as well. Andrew Peterson captured the essence of marriage. The promise does mean everything.
Gina
Happy anniversary with many more to come
Thank you, Kaye.
Blessings,
Gina
that is really beautiful
congratulations to you both
Thank you, Julie.
Blessings,
Gina