I met her in a dormitory at Northern Illinois University 54 years ago. She was wearing a torn Theta Chi sweatshirt a pair of shorts and no makeup, and I think I fell in love with her at that first meeting. I believe she tolerated me at first more than she liked me, but she gave our relationship a chance, and several months later we each professed our love for one another. While we were only nineteen years old, we each knew that we had found that special person who we would build a future with and who we knew would be our support through life’s struggles as well as life’s happiest moments.
On August 18, we will celebrate 50 years of married life, and each day we spend together, we know that those two young nineteen-year-olds made the right decision when they fell in love and committed themselves to one another. She is my best friend, my biggest supporter and the one individual who will always be there for me. I know that because her actions each and every day communicate her love for me, and in turn, I try to show her each and every day that she is the most important person in my life. We have experienced life’s up and downs, and we have grown closer and stronger by working through the difficult times. We have celebrated life’s joys and happiness and we have been blessed with three wonderful sons, two beautiful and loving daughter-in- laws, and two grandchildren who make our lives a true joy.
We will spend August 18 as we do most every day, by spending our mornings together before we each go off to our daily routines. On August 19, we will renew our vows in church and will celebrate together with our family at a local restaurant. While she will be wearing a beautiful dress and not a torn Theta Chi sweatshirt, I will reflect back on that first meeting, and I will be thankful that I had a chance to meet the most important person in my life 54 years ago in that dormitory at NIU. I am grateful that our chance meeting led to a lifetime of beautiful experiences. Happy Anniversary Cathy, and thank you for loving me the way you do!