Thursday, July 1, 2010

Anniversary Remembered with Flowers: A True Gift from the Heart



The doorbell rang and one of my sisters came in, carrying a colorful and cheerful  bouquet of flowers.


They commemorate the 36th July wedding anniversary of my husband and me.  It seems almost impossible that 36 years have gone by since we said vows to love and cherish each other. On the other hand, with all we've been through throughout the decades, it definitely seems possible we've been married that long.


Here's an admission. I really adore my husband. All the conflicts we've had and the things about him I dislike, pale compared to his wonderful qualities and immense talents. 


Our deep and abiding faith in Almighty God and shared spiritual core kept us strong through all the storms that threatened to tear us apart. Of that I am sure. He is the greatest gift I ever received in my entire life and it makes me feel so humbled and so blessed.


















He had a health scare two years ago and thoughts of losing him came to mind. But, like the Bible says, he regained strength  and has come back to life like on the wings of an eagle. My heart is so filled with gratitude it could break. It was not yet  time for us to part.

On the cover of the anniversary card that accompanied the flowers, two people are flying kites.

    "You can have a Happy Anniversary or say 'go fly a kite,' " my sister joked and we had a good laugh.



She lost her husband just a few months ago to pancreatic cancer.  He was only 59 years old. July would have marked an anniversary for them, too.


Today she saw his tombstone for the first time.


As I look at the flowers, gifts from the hand of God,  tears fill my eyes. Life is so filled with sadness, at times, and deep disappointments that shake the soul.



The death of a spouse has got to be one of the most traumatic of all life's sorrows. My own heart breaks for my sister who misses her "forever love" every minute of her life. All the dreams of their growing old together are gone, vanished like the wind on a summer's day.

I watched her walk, alone, out of our front door and felt an ache deep inside my soul. 

When I tell my husband "Happy Anniversary,"  I will hold him close to my heart and hug him, thanking God for every moment we have left together.



WHAT IS ONE OF YOUR LIFE'S GREATEST GIFTS?

13 comments:

Linda @ A La Carte said...

What a sweet and lovely tribute to your husband, your marriage and your love! I think my greatest gift from God are my children.

Chatty Crone said...

Happy anniversary to you and your hubby. I am at 36 years too. A long time - hardly can remember a time before that! lol And I am sorry for your sister - that must be really hard for her.

Sandie
PS The flowers were beautiful!

emptynester3 said...

Happy Anniversary! We are right behind with 32 coming up! Love the flowers and thanks so much for the visit! Love, ~Nana~

Carolyn said...

Happy Anniversary! I love how you wrote this post.

Carolyn

Linda O'Connell said...

Happy anniversary and many more to come. Bless you and your sister too.

The Old Parsonage said...

Susan, this post gave me goose bumps. Many happy more years my friend!!
Leann

Dayle ~ A Collection of Days said...

Wow, Susan. This made me cry. Happy Anniversary, and may your sister be comforted in her sorrow.

Kansas Amy said...

Happy Anniversary Susan! 36 years is a LONG time!

Anonymous said...

susan...you do write straight from your heart. you have touched me with your words....

congratulations on your 36 years...I've been married for 16 years and with the amount of love I have now and see grow with each passing year...I can completely understand the depth of love within the bonds of marriage that two people can share!

i'm sorry for your sister's loss...and feel the heavyness of your heart and hers...

so, here I am drying my eyes now...and I'm going to give Terry a squeeze so tight, he'll wonder if anything is wrong! lol

ciao bella
carmelina

Karen Lange said...

Happy Anniversary! The flowers are beautiful.

My condolences to your family for your loss. What a bittersweet time.

My greatest earthly treasures are my husband and children, daughter in law and grandson.

Have a wonderful weekend.
Blessings,
Karen

Adrienne said...

Beautiful flowers. So sad about your sister's husband. So young!

Have a wonderful 4th of July weekend...

Susan said...

Thanks to each of you for your visits and comments. Oh, you cannot ever know how much I appreciate your coming by and leaving your sweet, kind words.

I hope everyone has a fabulous Fourth of July weekend!

With love to all, Susan

Heaven's Walk said...

Susan - you write so beautifully. Wow. I didn't want this post to end. You should definitely think about writing a book, girl. Thank you for sharing your special day with us all, and Happy Anniversary! :)

God bless -

xoxo laurie@heavenswalk

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