It is interesting that
As it happens,
today would have been
are full of memories today.
So, while I have many precious memories,
today, I will focus on those of Al
with tremendous gratitude!
Al and I dated for 5 years.
We met at church.
Church is a very, very good place to meet!
I was barely 13.
He was not quite 15.
He thought I had good legs.
I thought he was huge!
We didn't connect for about a year.
I was a mere 8th grader,
he was in high school.
And never, never, never
would a high school boy
be the boyfriend to a junior high girl!
It just wasn't done!
But a year later,
I was going into 9th grade.
High school.
And I still had good legs.
And he had gotten even more muscular.
And so, we became a couple.
We were babies!
But babies in love.
And as we grew,
so did our love.
And finally,
on March 20, 1976,
we became Mr. & Mrs.
For six weeks shy of
37 years,
we were Mr. & Mrs.
Then, it was just Mrs.
Book ends.
Extreme joy.
Extreme sorrow.
And so much of each in between!
I remember the first birthday
we celebrated as a couple,
Al's 16th.
He could drive!!!
I'm not sure why that was so exciting to me.
I was still 14
and not allowed to car date
until I was 16.
But I was still excited for him!
I remember his 18th birthday.
He played football
and his team had just beaten
the unbeatable!
"The night they drove old Dixie down...."
What a celebration that was!
I remember his 22nd birthday.
We were expecting our precious baby girl soon.
He was so excited.
And nervous.
Would he be a good father?
I remember his first birthday as
I remember his 55th birthday.
"memories"
is today's thankfulness word.As it happens,
today would have been
Al's 61st birthday
and my mind and heartare full of memories today.
So, while I have many precious memories,
today, I will focus on those of Al
with tremendous gratitude!
Al and I dated for 5 years.
We met at church.
Church is a very, very good place to meet!
I was barely 13.
He was not quite 15.
He thought I had good legs.
I thought he was huge!
We didn't connect for about a year.
I was a mere 8th grader,
he was in high school.
And never, never, never
would a high school boy
be the boyfriend to a junior high girl!
It just wasn't done!
But a year later,
I was going into 9th grade.
High school.
And I still had good legs.
And he had gotten even more muscular.
And so, we became a couple.
We were babies!
But babies in love.
And as we grew,
so did our love.
And finally,
on March 20, 1976,
we became Mr. & Mrs.
For six weeks shy of
37 years,
we were Mr. & Mrs.
Then, it was just Mrs.
Book ends.
Extreme joy.
Extreme sorrow.
And so much of each in between!
I remember the first birthday
we celebrated as a couple,Al's 16th.
He could drive!!!
I'm not sure why that was so exciting to me.
I was still 14
and not allowed to car date
until I was 16.But I was still excited for him!
I remember his 18th birthday.
He played football
and his team had just beaten
the unbeatable!
"The night they drove old Dixie down...."
What a celebration that was!
I remember his 22nd birthday.We were expecting our precious baby girl soon.
He was so excited.
And nervous.
Would he be a good father?
He was!
Would he be a good daddy (because they are different!)?
He was!
How would he know what to do when.....
He did!
Would he love her enough?
Oh my, how he loved that little girl -
both of them!!!
Would his child love and respect him?
Indeed they did and do!
I remember his first birthday
of the empty nest years.
How he missed having his girls
living there!
How he reveled in the
second honeymoon period
of that empty nest!
I remember his first birthday as
"Big Papa".
How he loved his grandchildren!
And his birthday the year
he had the privilege of
dedicating his last grandchild to the Lord.
I remember his 55th birthday.
The big one.
The double nickle!
He thought he was old!
For some reason,
he never thought he would live that long.
He was a very diverse man.
Tough and gentle!
His cake reflected that!
I remember his 56th birthday.
A trip to Washington, D.C.,
a lifelong dream for him.
It was before we knew.
What a time we had!
I remember his 57th.
The great outpouring of love
and affection from his many friends!
The knowing that it would be
the last such celebration.
The mix of joy and sorrow.
I have said this before.
One never stops loving and missing.
I don't love him any less today
than I did on all those birthdays!
I don't understand why God chose
to take him home at only 57.
We are supposed to get
"three score and ten"
(that's 70).
I reminded God of that
a number of times.
But God is sovereign!
He knows what I do not!
What I do know is this:
I have precious memories
of a wonderful man!
I had the privilege of
living and loving together
and raising children and having grandchildren
with him.
And I remember.
Yes, I remember.
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