30 years ago today

Thirty years ago today, two desperately love sick 18 year olds started their life together despite (or maybe in spite of) all of the advice they received not to. They began married life with hardly any money but lots of dreams and hopes for the future. They honestly believed all they needed was each other.

The years ahead were not all wine and roses. Two years after their wedding, their first baby girl was stillborn. They named her Melissa Nicole and buried her on a cold February morning. They cried together and went on with their lives a little sadder than they were before but still in love.

Two years later, a beautiful and healthy baby girl was born. They named her Karen Michelle and they began a new life as parents. Five years after that, an equally beautiful Allison Rose made her appearance and their little family was complete.

Over the years, there was much heartache mixed in with the joy but the love got bigger and stronger as the years went by. There were struggles, some pretty big ones. They fought and made up. They loved. They laughed. They cried. They laughed some more. They raised those two baby girls to be happy self sufficient women who make them very proud. They’ve built a life together that is comfortable and exciting and filled with fun.

While some of the credit for the longevity of their relationship can be attributed to pure stubbornness, the real reasons they are still together are because they want to be and because they are still as love struck as they were when they were kids. He tells her she is beautiful every day and she laughs at him. She still meets him with a kiss at the door each day when he comes home from work. They compliment each other. They were meant for each other. Life is good. Their love is strong.