30th Wedding Anniversary Today

How decidedly inconvenient. I've been anticipating today's blog post, knowing it would probably flow easily because today is our  30th wedding anniversary and I thought this would be an easy post to write. But I've woken up in a low mood today. Arghh. So now what. 

I remember . . .

I, Susan, take you, Greg, to be my lawfully wedded husband,

I, Greg, take you, Susan, to be my lawfully wedded wife,

When my parents reached their 30th anniversary, all three of their daughters had been married for several years and they had a couple grandchildren. When Greg's parents reached their 30th anniversary, both of their sons were married.

and I do promise and covenant, before God and these witnesses,

Long marriages seem to be a relic of the past these days. Who do you know who has been married that long? Maybe your grandparents? 

to be your loving and faithful wife,

to be your loving and faithful husband,

We may be relics of an earlier time, but we are still smack in the middle of the hair-raising adventures of parenting. As a matter of fact, we're not heading off to the airport today to go on a celebratory trip to Hawaii or Paris today. No, we have a family counseling appointment to further deal with the fallout of what drug addiction has done and continues to do to our family. And, while we're off doing that, we'll have a babysitter for one of our children. Just a little different than what our parents were up to by year 30.

in plenty and want, in joy and in sorrow,

John Lennon reportedly said, "Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans" Life happens and we have the decided privilege of saying yes to what is. I don't presume to speak for people who are in poverty or tragic conditions. But we are in neither. We do have the privilege and opportunity to say yes because the School of Life knows exactly what lessons we are ready for.

in sickness and in health,

It's been quite a journey, from the hallowed halls of Wheaton College, to the Northwoods of Wisconsin and the shores of Lake Superior, to the beautiful Land Down Under and the humble shores of the Ohio River. Along the way, we've produced five marvelous children (if we do say so ourselves), we've laughed and cried a LOT, and have learned more than we would have ever guessed. Marriage is not easy. Heck, life is not easy. But, time after time, we have taken the road less travelled. Sometimes we stood at the fork in the road and pondered for a long time before we chose. But we did. We chose ourselves, our vows, each other, life.

as long as we both shall live. 

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