Happy anniversary, my blessing of 40 years

Ever wake up 40 years later and wonder what you did to be so blessed by God?

That’s what I’m doing today as my wife and I celebrate that milestone of 40 years. I found the right person at the right time in my life and I’ve never looked back — well except maybe on special anniversaries.

I think about all of the couples who give up and throw the towel in at the first sign of trouble. Granted we are both too hard-headed to give up most things, especially marriage.

If we gave up easily she could have dumped me before we got started when I went to work on my wedding morning to help get the newspaper out. Or when I got the offer to move to another state about the time we had finished working on our dream home on the hill. She’d seemed in favor of moving the first eight years of our marriage but cried on the back porch the night before we left.

She followed me to Texas then Colorado and hated leaving each but she followed me and my career faithfully even though there was never going to be great treasure or opportunity at the next stop.

We kept close to each other in the good times and we learned we could grow even closer in the bad times. Yes even the bad times have been a blessing.

It’s tough going through rough spots in a marriage or in life. I believe that we become better humans and better marriage partners because we’ve been tested. Plant roots grow in search of nourishment in order to survive. A marriage that’s never been tested is not going to have the strong roots it needs to survive.

We’ve both been blessed without worry of marital infidelity, which I guess puts us ahead of others but other worries, primarily health concerns and medical bills have tested us greatly.

I used to think 40 years was a big accomplishment and I guess it is. Now I look at couples I know who celebrated 60 years this week and I marvel.

Maybe some men get tired of waking up next to the same woman every morning. It’s pretty easy actually; all I have to do is make sure I don’t wake her when I get up. We’ve only slept apart if I was traveling for business or one of us was in the hospital. Some of those hospital stays were pretty lengthy and it was always such a relief to have her back in our bed.

Guys, kiss your wife every night before bed and kiss her when you leave in the morning. Be ready to compromise and spend as much time as you can get with her. Marriage is too big a blessing to mess up over the small stuff.

I love you even more than I did 40 years ago dear and I never would have believed that would be possible. Happy anniversary, my dear.

Karl Terry writes for Clovis Media Inc. Contact him at:

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