What Does it Take to Have a Perfect Marriage?

This month we celebrate our wedding anniversary and this is the toast I will give to my husband of 49 years --

THE PERFECT DAY

We met early in the morning, you and I. Even before breakfast, we knew we were going to be together the rest of the day. 

Throughout the morning, there were many moments of turmoil, doubt, and uncertainty. But we knew we belonged together and.... together we would overcome. 

By mid-afternoon, we received two priceless gifts; our children, a son and a daughter. They came into our lives as the blessing we always had hoped for and believed we would have. The afternoon also proved to be tumultuous but our love for each other and God kept us strong, focused, and … together. 

We have lost much but gained more. We have cried often but laughed more. We were victims of total financial loss, cancer, loss of our son, brain injury, and almost 40 years of trauma – often piled on top of another. But we are stronger now and better - as a result. 

We are now entering the evening of that day and we have received more incredible gifts – our grandchildren. No matter how many mountains we had to climb, or hurdles to jump, the blessings of the perfect day are many and I raise my glass to you, my love, and our 49 years together. 

Today we celebrate and I thank God for you and for the perfect day.

 

Is Your Life a Rose Garden or Does Poop Mess it Up?

There must be a Murphy's Law that says: "When you are dressed to the nines, that is when mishaps/mini disasters/poop happens."

My daughter, her two children, my husband, and I had attended the Celebration of Life service for a dear friend of ours. It was exceptionally hot outside and we were anxious to get home. My husband was in the rear seat of the SUV facing our one-year-old granddaughter in her car seat. Hubby entertained the baby as she giggled having a great time with Papa.  

"Why did you give her chocolate?"  Hubby shouted from the rear of the SUV.

"What chocolate? I didn't give her any chocolate. William, did you give your sister some chocolate?

"MOM, it isn't chocolate.  It's POO!"

Do You Know How to Stay Focused During Trauma

Trauma affects us. Period. How it affects us can be either a negative or positive experience. But, turning a negative into a positive is often easier said than done, isn't it?

Sometimes we do not realize we have "been here before" until it's over. Pain works that way. Pain is just that - PAIN. When we are in the middle of it, it feels like a new experience. Yet, it rarely is.

There are many types of pain that we experience in life. There are times when we are blindsided and experience pain on a level we had not realized we were capable of handling. When we look back at those experiences we often wonder how we made it through -- but we did.  And we are stronger for it.

Pain takes on many forms in your life. Rejection, loss, physical or emotional trauma, abuse, divorce, the list goes on.

Do You Wish Your Life Had A Restart Button?

 

If given the opportunity would you accept a RESTART button for your life? Would you like to travel back in time and change things? What might your life look like after you did that?  

This is how I would answer that soul-searching question:

1)  I  would not have married the man my parents and family warned me against.  If I had not married him then my life would have been a lot easier after the divorce.  I would not have been gang-raped and left for dead (by his 'friends').  I would not have had my home completely destroyed by a gang of vandals (his friends).  I would not have had an emotional and physical breakdown.  

HOWEVER.....I learned a lot from those experiences and they helped make me the strong woman I am today.