I have sat here looking at that for a long time, and thinking back over those years, knowing that this puts me into a very exclusive club that I am both honored and humbled to be a member of. Fifty years ago I married a girl I had known for less than a hundred days. May 9,1975. The whole world has changed and changed again in those fifty years, and together we watched it all.

I am not pretending that marriage is easy. Anything involving two humans over five decades will include a fair amount of conflict, but compared to the happiness and life two people can build together, it is a small thing to me. What is the key to staying together? Love is the key, and realizing that very little will stand through decades without God being somewhere in the relationship. Early on, I gave that very little weight, but I can tell you now that a God centered marriage will see you through whatever life throws at you. We grew up together and we are growing old together, and I am certain that I chose the right partner. We have built a life, day by day, year by year. We dreamed together, and saw much of it come to fruition. We raised a family that we are incredibly proud of and our story is far from over, but just for a little while, I think I’ll enjoy what I consider a great achievement.

Happy Anniversary Sheila!

Love, Wayne.