Ok, it has been 25 years since my wife and I got married back in that little country church in Nowata Oklahoma. Yesterday she mentioned do you know where you were 25 years ago. I had a long pause feeling like I better know the answer to that question....I had no clue. She said it was Friday twenty five years ago and you were finishing up at school (a project of course) before heading out of Stillwater (Oklahoma State University). Some things never change. Before celebrating last week in Raleigh, I had to finish up a couple projects.
I didn't remember what I was doing the week before twenty-five years ago. I didn't even remember anything the day before. I remember my friends from class taking me out for a bachelors evening at Joe's. just drinks....nothing else.....but lots of drinks. However recall that being almost a week previously. I was probably finishing up my thesis project.....the one that I didn't like, but not for sure if that was it or not. I don't really remember much of the wedding day either leading up to walking in the church.
But the good thing is, I remember just about every single moment of the actual wedding. Who couldn't? Drama is always there in my life. So was there a story, you ask? Of course.
We were getting married in a little one room church building in a one horse town....I really think there might have been a few more horses but not sure. The church was were my lovely wife's parents and grandparents and uncles and aunts and everyone else in her family attended. It is also the church that I was baptized in.....but that is another story. It wasn't actually a one room church building....it was three. The main assembly with a wooden floors and wooden seats that were fastened to the floor like the old school auditoriums. Then two classrooms back in the far corners behind the pulpit.
One of the tiny rooms was for the boys and the other for the girls....the girls classroom was were my wife was getting prepped. It also had an outside door. That was the only way she would be able to get to the front to walk down the aisle. She would have to exit the back door and walk around the outside of the building through the grass to get to the front double doors. No vestibule. No foyer.....just double doors.
So the time arrives and many of our friends were not able to make it because on this particular day in May of Oklahoma there happened to be a tornado. Surprise surprise! It had positioned itself between Stillwater and Nowata......this is not a joke....those are real town names!
Anyway, there happens to be a little wind outside on this day. Just a little. My wife heads out the back door as it is time to begin. The winds are swirling, the sky is darkening and threatening rain. When she opens the doors (or somebody does) her veil is all twisted and wrapped three times around her face and head due to the swirling winds. I can't help but chuckle has they help her get all straight again. I have to tell you she was the most beautiful creature on the earth. Did I just say creature? I might pay for that one later.
Her father was performing the ceremony and her sister was the maid of honor. It was a simple wedding ceremony. We get to the part where we are supposed to recite our vows. You know...repeat after me. How hard can that be? A few lines at a time.....no big deal. Well I guess it was for me. So I start off with saying, "With this WING".......did I just say WING? No I couldn't have.....maybe nobody heard me....maybe they did. Oh goodness......lets see if I can fix it...."I thee RED." Great I fixed it.....no I didn't......now I started laughing.....well not really laughing.....trying not to laugh.....which is painful to do and also causes one not to be able to stop laughing. Now her sister, the maid of honor is laughing. I can tell my future bride is a bit irritated with us both but the "not trying to laugh" thing is infectious. She starts to giggle too.
The entire assembly behind thinks we are crying because we are currently turned away from them at the time. Our "not trying to laugh" actions apparently look like crying when viewed from behind.
I told you there was a story. So we have been laughing ever since. That's my job.....to make my wife laugh ........ all the time.
TO MY WIFE: It has been a wonderful 25 years my dear. It has brought us many adventures and many moments to cherish. There have been so many times that we have laughed and enjoyed each others company. Sure, there has been moments of sadness and tears, but the good times have certainly out weighed the bad many times over.
We have visited foreign lands, back woods, mountain tops. We have traveled many roads and gotten lost on most of them only to create more adventures and moments to laugh about. We have relaxed on the beaches, hiked up the mountains, camped by the rivers and streams. We have stayed in some of the fanciest hotels.....and some that were...less than fancy. We have shared a meal of macaroni and cheese with some hotdogs as well as some foo foo French stuff that I can't pronounce nor spell. It was all good.
We have struggled at times to pull all of our penny's together and we have had times when we have been abundantly blessed. All those times were good ....... even though at that moment in time we might have felt differently. We have raised four children together and did the best we could. I know you were the best mom around. You taught them all the things important in life.....and I taught them everything else....lol. We were a great team. And we still are. You have stood beside me all these years in support of my dreams. I can never thank you enough for that. I know I haven't been the easiest to get along.....maybe even a little stubborn at times.....only a little!
I cannot wait to see what the next 25 years brings us. I am sure it will be many more adventures and many more stories....most all of them we will finish with a laugh. Thank you for being my wife, my friend, my lover, my all. Happy Anniversary my dear!
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