46 YEARS

OUR 46TH ANNIVERSARY TODAY. SOMETIMES IT SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME AGO. AND THEN AGAIN, SOME DAYS IT SEEMS LIKE ONLY YESTERDAY. WE KNEW ONE ANOTHER SINCE AGE 6 OR SO. I CAN REMEMBER THE FIRST TIME I NOTICED HER AS A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG LADY. UNTIL THEN, SHE WAS JUST A BUDDY. SHE WAS CAMPING IN AN ORCHARD BEHIND HER HOUSE, WITH A GIRLFRIEND. A COUPLE BUDDIES AND I DROPPED BY TO SAY HELLO. I WAS HOOKED, ALTHOUGH WE BOTH TOOK DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS. WE STARTED DATING JUST AFTER MY 21ST BIRTHDAY. ON MARCH 6, 1971, WE GOT MARRIED. WE HAVE HAD A GOOD MARRIAGE. TWO KIDS AND NINE DOGS LATER, WE'RE STILL AT IT. YOU NEVER QUITE GET IT RIGHT. YOU KEEP WORKING. BUT IT ALL ENDS UP BEING WORTH IT. THE LOVE OF MY LIFE-MY WIFE.