Forty...(count 'em)...Forty Years

I tell this story to any sucker person who will listen. It was May of 1970. I was a junior in high school...Lisa was a sophomore. Our first prom. (It is the picture with the white tuxedo.) Don't put it into LARGE, or you'll see my "flood pants." What you don't know is that we WERE expecting a flood that night, and I wanted to be ready to assist our fellow prom-goers. Lisa was radiant.

The next 2 years, (my senior year-1971, then her senior year-1972) I raided the material rack of my Grandmas downstairs curtain-making shop to find my tuxes. Velour...baby...soft-to-the-touch velour. In 1972, I wore a size 38 jacket. When I went to pick up my tux...it was a size 44. I spent the whole night looking and sounding like Rodney Dangerfield. "How ya doin, Tim?" "I'm fine, but I'm swimming in this tux. Can you tell it's too big?" Lisa was radiant...both years.

Finally...in May of 19 and 73, we had no prom to go to. "But honey...I need to dress up! I need to rent a tux!! I love rented shoes! LET'S JUST GET MARRIED!!"

I went all out for my wedding tux. While Lisa distracted the waiter by bending over in a low-cut blouse...I ran off with the tablecloth. ("Don't you think it made a fine tux?")

My hair kept getting longer. (Makes me wonder what I was thinking.) Our parents all looked good, especially my Dad with the sideburns, and the mustache. Lisa looked radiant. (You notice a theme?)

The picture in the middle of the shell was taken on our 25th anniversary. Over the years, we would return to the big tree where we had our wedding picture taken. Sadly, a small tornado came through our city, and took the tree with it.

In May of 1973...Lisa was 19, and I was 20. 40 years...where have they gone? I told her in a card this morning...that if I had it to do over...I would have swept her up in her nightie when she was 16, and eloped to Kentucky. (That's how we do it in the Bluegrass State...as long as she wasn't my cousin.)

She's a wonderful woman, wife, mother, and grandmother...and yes...she is radiant. An angel of God on Earth...that's what she is.

Want some FREE marriage advice? From a Bible verse in 1 Corinthians 13...LOVE NEVER FAILS!!! But...coming in a close second...(and wishing I was Aretha Franlin...belting it out)..R-E-S-P-E-C-T...find out what it means to me.

Respect and love. Never belittle...never lash out...never demean...never swear...never call one another bad names. The Golden Rule always stands out to me. Treat people how you want to be treated...especially in a marriage.

Here's to 40 more! HA! (I'm not sure I want to live to be 100.)

Thanks for letting me "preach." Hope everybody has a great week.