We will never be too old to date. It is significant in that 42 years ago, I met my girlfriend for our first date. One day less than a year later, she married me. And there hasn’t been a day I haven’t been both thankful and amazed she is still with me.
Our first date was at church concert. Friends of ours were performing and we went to cheer them on. I was picking her up in my 1971 Datsun 1200 fastback (oooh) and my palms were sweaty…. do I kiss her or not, what do I say when things get quiet? In the end, I remember making her laugh and along with her smile, there was the most intense sparkle in her eyes that won my heart then and still causes my knees to weaken today. I think she wore a dress she made herself (but I could be wrong since guys often overlook those kind of things) and I remember her hand was velvety smooth and warm to hold.
We were 19 years old on that first date. We loved music, we dreamed together, we laughed and I can honestly say, I do not remember a single argument or fight in our years together. I guess we were so young, that we essentially grew up together and discovered love, family, friends, music, building a home, parenting, pets, moving, job changes, travel, each other’s unique qualities, laughter, and aging. We shared our hopes and dreams. We listened to Stormy Nights records on cold nights, took our first skinny dip, learned to cook, bought our first sailboat, strung buttered popcorn for our 1st tree, and learned how speak and listen to each other.
I have said before, we have a ritual where each year we steal away and talk about significant changes that occurred and what we see happening in the future. We discuss our dreams and fears and plan together for what we want. We have much to be thankful for and much to look forward to.
I often hear reference to spouses being a point of stability; a rock, or rudder. Sometimes I hear they are a guiding light or a source for energy. In my case, she is my equal, my side, sometimes my eyes, my desires, my thoughts, my pulse, and my smile. She is everything about who I am as a person. Don’t get me wrong, I do have an identity. It is just defined by where we have been, what we have learned, how we have experienced and …. who she is.
