June 27, 2016

Twenty Five Years

Two together! Winds blow south, or winds blow north, Day come white, or niqht come black, Home, or rivers and mountains from home, Singing all time, minding no time, While we two keep together. 
From
 Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking
Walt Whitman, 1819 - 1892

On June 29th, Steve and I celebrate twenty five years of marriage. Twenty five years with my soulmate by my side. What exactly is twenty five years of marriage? For us, it is...

Waking with your best friend. A cozy apartment. Pulling a mattress out into the TV room on a hot summer night to watch movies. Dinners for two. A kitten. A first house. Praying for a positive test. Disappointments. Happiness. Baby bliss. Stroller walks. Christmas trees. Easter baskets. Moving. New babies. Chrism oil at baptisms. Late nights rocking. Trips to the beach. Trick-or-Treating. Training wheels and loose teeth.

It's getting older. And dieting. And sitting on the sofa with big bowls of ice cream. Moving again. And settling in. Losing hair. Coloring hair. Watching babies grow. Paying bills. Growing a business. Trips to Disney World. Fourth of July fireworks. Sunday afternoon football. Training a puppy. Having teenagers. Becoming our parents. Buying yet another washing machine. Christmas card photos. Visits to the doctor. High Cholesterol. And Blood pressure. And one more blessing. It's baby bliss all over again. Bibs and bottles and smiles and giggles. And long nights with sticky pink medicine and tears.

It's dreams come true. Turning forty. Happiness. Grief. Burying parents. Visits to nursing homes. Knowing each other's next word. Kissing goodnight. Another puppy. A child graduating. Wrinkles and gray hair. Not caring. Laughing. Snoring. Santa Clause. And the Easter Bunny. Homeschooling. Games of Four Square after dinner. Porch swings and sweet tea. Saying I'm sorry. Trips to the ER for stitches and kidney stones. It's grocery shopping together. Crying. Birthdays and chocolate cake with peanut butter icing. Holding hands. Family pews at mass. Games of Scrabble and Candyland.

Twenty five years together is holidays and everydays. It's meatloaf and fruit salad. Dreams fulfilled. Prayers answered. Hand holding still. Kids growing. Middle age. Feeling young. Being older. Missing loved ones. It's the blink of an eye. But just the beginning. A love story unfolding. It's the circle of life. Continuing. It's me and you. It's us. The six of us. It's our life. And it is good.

June 29, 1991
Twenty five years ago.
Yet only yesterday...

30 comments:

  1. Such a beautiful post! A huge congratulations to you and tour prince on a big anniversary! My husband and I have been married almost 13 years in December and it already feels like a lifetime. Getting married at 18 seems so long ago, yet just yesterday. Your post has truly gotten me excited for the future! Thank you so much for this! 😍 Here's to many, many more happy anniversaries!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Such a beautiful post! A huge congratulations to you and tour prince on a big anniversary! My husband and I have been married almost 13 years in December and it already feels like a lifetime. Getting married at 18 seems so long ago, yet just yesterday. Your post has truly gotten me excited for the future! Thank you so much for this! 😍 Here's to many, many more happy anniversaries!

    ReplyDelete
  3. What a huge celebration! Congratulations and wishing you many blessings on this amazing anniversary! God bless!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beautiful! Happy happy 25th wedding anniversary and may God grant you both many many more years! Thank you for sharing as always the beauty of your family and marriage. Your portrait is gorgeous as you are����������!! All Saiints Day it will be 30 for us. You are absolutely correct, it all goes too fast in a wink of an eye. Happy and blessed celebrations!��

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sorry my little celebration emjois didn't post correctly :(

    ReplyDelete
  6. Happy anniversary to you both! I love your post, it was heartwarming. You have a gift for writing. I love your blog! Juli

    ReplyDelete
  7. Congrats and Happy Anniversary! Beautiful couple and beautiful life together -- you're on an incredible journey, aren't you! Blessings to you and your wonderful husband and family!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Wonderful memories and yes, it is the circle of life.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Congratulations on celebrating 25 wonderful years of marriage, here's wishing for many more happy years together. Such an uplifting post.

    ReplyDelete
  10. What precious memories!! Happy anniversary. <3

    ReplyDelete
  11. What a great 25 years it has been clearly! And there's so much more to come! Happy anniversary!

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a beautiful post and photograph. Happy, Happy Anniversary and wishes for many more, friend. Have a joyful week.

    ReplyDelete
  13. ADORE this post! Happy Anniversary, and prayers for many many more to come!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I love this post, Billie Jo, and I think you pretty much covered it all. Marriage is about commitment in the hard times. Congratulations to you and your soulmate on 25 years. Celebrate!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Awe That was beautiful! Happy belated Anniversary Billie Jo

    ReplyDelete
  16. Happy Anniversary to two darling folks that obviously have a built such a wonderful life together!! Wishing you blessings for many many more. ;) I just love this post Billie Jo (& the photo too!!) xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  17. Happy Anniversary!! What an amazing example y'all are of God's love♥ Wishing you many blessed and happy years to come! :)

    This post is just beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  18. What a beautiful post! Happy Anniversary!!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Happy 25th Anniversary to you and your man! May you have many more years together.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Happy Anniversary and to a life of bliss in all its varieties! Madison looks just like you in that wedding photo taken 25 years ago. She is her mother's daughter!!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I loved this! All those great memories... Happy Anniversary! And here's to many, many more!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Oh what a beautiful post! Happy anniversary my friend!

    ReplyDelete
  23. This might be one of my favorite posts of yours, Billie Jo. I found myself shaking my head yes to most of your memories. What a great reflection on the extraordinary moments in our ordinary days of married life.
    Happy Anniversary. I think another trip to Bedford Springs is in order for you two.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I love this post! Happy Anniversary you two!!!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Happy Anniversary!! I hope that you have many more happy years and decades of marriage together!!

    ReplyDelete
  26. That is the best post on this blog. EVER! Oh Billie Jo and Steve, happy happy anniversary! Now I'm going back to read it all over again!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Oh, Billie Jo, this made me cry. Now that we are on the downhill-slope, I get a bit sentimental with memories. Yours are precious! I could nod to all! What a precious post!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Happy anniversary and many more!!! :-)

    Blessings,
    Jill

    ReplyDelete
  29. Happy Anniversary to you and your sweet Steve!!! May God bless you and your family! ♥♥ Many more years of happiness to come! xo

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for saying hello!

Billie Jo