In April of 1978 peanut farmer Jimmy Carter was president, gas was 63 cents a gallon, Grease was at the movies, Happy Days was on TV, and the Bee Gees were “Staying Alive”. It was also the year Crystal and I were married.
We have been married for 37 years as of April first. That’s right we were a couple of April fools. That was Crystal’s fault. She got to pick the month so I got to pick the day. My choice was, as all of my decisions, entirely logical (haha). First, I didn’t want to wait longer than necessary. Second, I wanted a date I would never be able to forget. I had heard too many horror stories about men who had forgotten their anniversaries (May they rest in peace). I didn’t want to take that chance. April fool’s day had always been special to me. When I was a youth I always went out of my way to do something special for my mom. Her reactions were priceless and I knew she would continue to love me anyway. Just a word to the wise; always make sure the cat is locked in the basement before attempting the dead mouse on the bathroom floor trick.
Crystal and I have long ago passed the time when our married life exceeded our years before marriage. It becomes increasingly difficult to remember, with great clarity, the years before marriage. This was yet another reason for the writing of our memoir. At thirty seven years, the day is not quite as special as it once was. Actually no single day of the year is. Valentine’s Day for example is seldom celebrated on the actual day. We usually celebrate on a day which fits our schedule, and when fewer love crazed couples are vying for the limited restaurant seating. Furthermore, Crystal never expects candy or flowers on the day. She usually gets her candies on the following day when they are half price. As for flowers, they have no special significance in our house. I frequently buy fresh cut flowers for Crystal for no particular reason. Here is a clue, guys. If you want a good marriage, keep your women stocked with flowers and chocolates. It may not solve all of your problems, but it certainly couldn’t hurt.
So what will we do for our anniversary? Candies and chocolates are out. Jewelry is always an option. I will go that route from time to time. However, realistically Crystal has all of the jewelry she needs. At one point in our relationship, she liked for me to pick out clothing for her. She liked my taste, and I had a good feel for what would fit. However, while I still try from time to time; how do I say this sensitively, I have lost some of my innate talent for selecting clothes that will fit her.
No, none of the old standbys apply for us at this point. So, for lack of a better strategy, I give her what she really wants and has asked for. Later in the month of April, I have made reservations for a getaway. We will stay in a cabin in a beautiful secluded wooded area for a couple of nights. We will explore by day and kick back and relax at night. That’s right, after 37 years, what Crystal wants most is to spend more time with me. In spite of myself, I must be doing something right.
Happy Anniversary Crystal.
Crystal’s Corner
Happy Anniversary, Ron!
I agree what Ron has written in his blog in some ways. Our anniversary is special to me. It doesn’t matter how many years we have been together. I still feel like a bride on that day and I remember the sunny day, how I looked in my wedding dress, all of our friends and family celebrating together and our wedding vows. I remember thinking that morning that I would never be the same after that day. I had a new name and now I was connected to the person I loved best in the world forever. Ron looked scared as I walked down the aisle, but after I got there, he smiled. It was the 20 minute Methodist service and the church was packed. It was the best decision I ever made in my entire life. Even though there have been times in our marriage when I thought we weren’t going to stay together, I still believe God brought us together. Life is hard and marriage takes work and determination and a lot of patience. God has kept us together. At this stage of our marriage, we are very content with each other. We still laugh everyday and most days we tell each other that we love each other. He still surprises me when he sneaks back into the house after he has been out. Today, it was sunny and warm just like the day we were married. (Ron had promised me our wedding day would be 60 degrees and sunny and it was.)
At our wedding we had the song, Evergreen, sung during the ceremony. Our love is still evergreen, just like it was then.
Why doesn’t this seem so long ago?