True to form in our marriage, Nellie Jo and I spent our 40th anniversary yesterday in simple fashion. We went to church and heard our son/pastor preach. Then we went to the elegant Cracker Barrel for lunch.
To be sure, we celebrated our anniversary earlier with trips to Mystic, Connecticut, Hershey, Pennsylvania, and our first geographical love, Florida. But the time at church and Cracker Barrel reflects more poignantly the simplicity and joys of our marriage.
What have I learned in 40 years of marriage? I have learned the cliché, “Time flies,” is more a reality than a cliché. I married my girlfriend when I was 22. I am now 62. Those four decades have been a blur. I have also learned than referring to my wife jokingly as “the better half” is not a joke at all. Nellie Jo is one of the most selfless people I have ever known. She is truly so much the better person in our marriage.
But I did want to share with you readers eight of the most powerful lessons I have learned in 40 years of marriage. I am neither the font of wisdom nor the personification of the good husband. But I have learned some things. Perhaps the lessons can be helpful to some of you.
- Marriage is an incredible gift. I have taken the gift for granted too many times. I have taken Nellie Jo for granted too many times. But, with each passing year, I see more clearly what an incredible gift marriage is from God, and what an incredible gift Nellie Jo is to me.
- The “for worse” moments” are some of the most powerful moments…
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