Thirty-eight years ago I was ten days shy of being twenty years old. It was a cold March, and it was the brief time span between winter and spring quarters at Ohio State. I had had a pretty lousy winter quarter, actually the worst of my entire college career (which is quite long and a story for another day.) It is difficult, nearly impossible to concentrate on college classes when you are planning a wedding.

Ours was such a simple and uncomplicated affair compared to many weddings, but it still had its share of crises and deadlines and worries. One sister lived too far away to come, but all the rest were bridesmaids, dressed in pink, my favorite color at the time. My mother sewed my dress, the bridesmaid's dresses, and even the little white jacket that my three year old brother wore as the "ring master." My preacher father married us, and nearly collapsed from running back and forth before the ceremony. Neither of us can remember much about the wedding, just his little sister sobbing audibly as we took our vows, and doing the totally gauche thing of opening our gifts at the reception where only red punch, wedding cake, nuts and mints were served. My dear husband arrived at the wedding with the grand total of $6.00 in his pocket. Blessedly folks were generous, and we, as we always have, had enough to get by.

I hardly recognize the young girl in the photos. The thin handsome gentleman seems so much more familiar...he still looks the same to me. We were so young, and many would say foolish and ill prepared for what lay ahead of us. It was the grace and constancy of God's love that saw us through.

How can so much time have passed? I know that I love, respect, and honor him more now. Thank you, God, for the blessing of loving a person so filled with your love...who finds joy in the simple, pure, and holy things in life. Besides, he still makes me laugh.

Thirty-eight more years? Probably not here on earth, but eternity...Yes!