23 years

Twenty three years ago today, I was united in marriage to my husband, Jeff. I was pretty young, had just turned 22 and my beloved was 25, almost 26. It was a beautiful and wonderful day, high up in the San Bernardino mountains, in the small town of Lake Arrowhead. I remember thinking what a serious thing this was that I was entering into, but I know that God had brought this man to me. My Mother-in-law was very instrumental in this heart tying! I had met her while I worked at Mervyn's and pretty much every time we would end up together on a break, she would tell me about her son and how I needed to meet him. "Yeah, yeah," I would say secretly thinking to myself that I did not wish to meet him at all due to my recent decision to not be involved with any more guys period and especially those who were immature and not very serious about life! So I would politely listen to her as she told me about him, nod my head approvingly but inside my head I was thinking , "uhhm, no thanks!" She would bring out his senior photo and show me a glimpse of this nice looking young man with blond hair and green eyes and a sweet smile and then she'd say, "I should get a more recent picture of him, he's a little older now!" And then the conversation would meander off onto another topic and I'd breathe a sigh of relief!  And then, one day,unbeknownst to me, while I straightened and  folded little boys'  Levi pants in the boys department, I was under observation. Those green eyes from that senior photo were now scrutinizing me from across the store! You see, my future brother-in-law also worked at Mervyn's and had been in on this conspiracy also. He'd been telling his brother that he did indeed need to come in and meet me! Yes, I was framed !So as I worked away, this young man, was working up the nerve to come over and strike up a conversation with me. And pretty soon he did and as he  approached, I felt some eyes on me. I noticed that to the side of me, there stood a man in the midst of the little boys department and my first thought was I needed to direct him over to the proper department because these pants might have been a bit too small for him! But then he said, Oh, I'm Susan's son!" My mind was really trying to comprehend who this guy was and finally, I understood that THIS was the guy in the Senior photo that I had been shown on my break for the past few months. After a few moments of uncomfortable chit-chat(yes, even me, the girl who never stops talking was speechless) he somehow got my phone number, told me he'd call me and was quickly gone! Do you know that this man still has the scrap of paper that I wrote my name and number on? So we had our first phone conversation, first date(which I did not want to end and neither did he) and then somehow 4 months later we were looking at rings and then engaged and then planning a ceremony and whew.......September 16, 1989 a wedding took place. But on this day, 23 years ago, so much more occurred that just a marriage ceremony. There was a joining of hands, but also a joining of hearts. When we said I do( and that's a whole 'nother story, folks) amidst tears,one soggy, shared tissue, happiness and joy, we both meant it...forever and ever, Amen! For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part. I look at this man that God hand picked and brought to me and I am so thankful... words cannot describe the joy my heart feels towards him. He is trustworthy, hard-working and kind and he loves the Lord with all his heart. Our children are evidence of this love that we have for each other. And while, I will say that we've had our share of squabbles and disagreements, we have always been able to kiss each other good night, say I love you and mean it! He has stood by me, upheld me and shouldered my tears through miscarriages, childbirth, and the losses of my brother, my sister and my dear parents. I am so blessed by this man and I want him to know that!