Our 40th Wedding Anniversary
On July 25, 1964, my wife and I were married and began a wonderful forty year’s journey together. Today I feel the need to share with readers my thoughts on this momentous occasion. The road we have traveled has had many milestones including peaks and valleys, but our proudest accomplishment is our three grown children and now, two wonderful grandchildren.
During our children’s younger years, my wife chose to be a stay-at-home mom who ran car pools, put band-aids on scraped knees after school, helped with homework assignments, baked cookies, volunteered in the community and was the fantastic “glue” that held the family together. My wife began full time teaching after our children were older and she currently is an attorney who teaches at the university level. With her help, our children received the love and support that allowed them to self-actualize and reach their fullest potentials.
My professional journey as a practicing mental health professional, part-time university lecturer and author was constructed on what I considered the essential priorities of being a good husband and father. Teaching healthy values, traditions and skills essential for adulthood required time and effort. These included many hours of watching our two sons and daughter play sports, attending piano recitals, and school activities. Simply “hanging out” together as a family provided much of the fiber necessary for the complete family tapestry.
Our children’s spiritual life, health and education were emphasized in our family’s life style. Although all the children suffered normal growing pains, they have now all completed college and have a strong commitment to their faith and family.
Our own parents provided and passed on the healthy model of parenting that my wife and I used to measure our own marriage and rear our children. Watching the Olympic torch being passed on from country to country parallels our desire to pass on the lessons we learned from our parents to our children thus giving then a blueprint to pass on to their children, the next generation for the 21st century.
The unconditional love and friendship that my wife and I have for each other, along with commitment, shared values and a very strong belief in the institution of marriage, have blessed us with forty years of happiness and a great life together. To all readers I wish you many happy anniversaries and the blessings of a happy family.
