Valentine's Day 2012

Today is the 39th Valentine's Day we've enjoyed together.  My princess bride and I are enjoying it and I hope my readers are also.  I'd like to deviate from my normal rant today and I hope you'll forgive me for waxing personal.

Princess and I began dating in January 1973.  I believe it was in February she invited me to come to her house "to count pennies" to see if she had enough to pay for her to take me to a "girls ask boys" dance.  Little did I know that she had scoured her siblings and parents (and perhaps the neighborhood, for all I know) so that she had just enough pennies.  Little 'ol naive me was impressed that she would take me, much less break her piggy bank to pay for it.  


It was a nice time and we've had many nice times since.  We've invited and received 7 children into our family through the years.  I wouldn't trade any of them.  While some of their decisions aren't what I would make, they are generally pretty good people and I love them all along with their respective spouses.

We've enjoyed good times; times of laughter and joy.  And we've endured some sad times, like when our 2nd daughter died in an auto wreck.  We've enjoyed times of great strength and times of extreme weakness, like when Princess was confined to a wheel chair for a few months before giving birth to twins or when I was bedridden for a time recovering from a severe blood clot in my leg.

We've enjoyed camping with our children, taking tours of the Grand Canyon and other wonders.  We've laughed and played and enjoyed our family..

These times and events have all given us strength.  Even the sad times have brought us closer together and our love has grown ever stronger.  I wondered, 39 years ago, how I could ever love my princess bride more than I did then.  Now I wonder at how little I knew then.

I love her, I honor her, and I worship the ground she walks on.  I love her talents.  She makes everyone around her feel better.   I know she loves me, but sometimes I wonder why.  I've been a pretty big burden sometimes.

Thank you for letting me express myself here.