This lady.
A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
Proverbs 31:10
I am truly a rich man.
About thirty-three years ago, Mary and I became friends. Yes, we were high school sweethearts. You can stop trying to do the math. I’m fifty-one. We became good friends really fast, and that friendship quickly grew into so much more. Before I graduated, we were already thinking that we would probably end up getting married in the future.
I remember the first time I was brave enough to say the “L” word. I wrote her a poem, titled, “I Think I Love You”. I was exhilarated when I got a note back that said she loved me as well. That was a great day.
<<Insert the old people jokes here because no, we didn’t even have the internet back then and no one had even dreamed of text messaging. We actually TALKED face to face, and we WROTE notes and letters all the time to each other. Crazy, right?!? I used to hate it when people would say this, but, gosh, those really were the good old days!>>
I sure thought I knew what love was back then. Obviously, a teenager has an extremely limited understanding of what love is. But as much as I could understand, I loved her and she loved me.
We got married when she was 19, and I had just turned 21. That seems really young looking back on it now. I can imagine our parents had some thoughts about it. On June 22, 1991, I stood at the altar and promised my love “until death do us part”. We had no idea what that even meant. I suppose no one ever does. But as 21 and 19-year-olds, we didn’t have a clue about what love was — at least we did not know what it would become. We knew that we wanted to be together for the rest of our lives and let’s just say it — we wanted to have sex. I’d never go back and change it, though. We grew together to understand what it meant.
Don’t misunderstand. We truly loved each other in 1991 insomuch as we knew how to love other. It was not only about sex.
But today, our love is something entirely different. And it is what I am most grateful for on this earth. Mary is the person I am the most grateful for on this earth. Thirty years later and I definitely still do. And I always will. There really isn’t much in this life that I am sure about — but I’m sure about that.
So today, I am grateful for the love that Mary and I have for each other. I am grateful that she loves me. I am grateful that I can love her. In the future, I will continue to amazed at how our love will mature and grow.
I love how you’re doing this, Chris! You’re motivating me…
Oh thank you, Karen! I’m blessed beyond measure. We have such a Good Father.
Благодарю, брат! Передавай привет Мэри!!! Любим вас!!!
И тебя ОЧЕНЬ любим!
So thankful for the two of you. Love hearing your story b
Thankful for you and James, also! Love you!
Aww, what a tribute! Mary is a True gift from God! I love it when God, in His wisdom and with His insight that far exceed our boldest expectations, gives us gifts we don’t know much about at first (even through we think we do), and then lets us unwrap it, layer by layer, for the rest of our lives.
So true! It’s such a wonderful adventure to be in a real, love relationship! I see the same thing when I look at you and Artem. Love y’all!
Thank you from both of us! <3
Godly, smart, talented and fun to be around – an amazing mother & faithful & loving wife – that’s Mary! And, Chris, I happen to know that she is super in love with you too!
🙂 🙂 🙂