Countdown to 25

Tomorrow my husband and I will celebrate our 25th anniversary. Later this week I will post more about that. But this weekend, we had the opportunity to be somewhere having breakfast where there were several older people - older couples to be exact. It was such an incredible joy to watch them. I could have easily gone up to all of them and asked them to tell me their story. I wanted to know how long they had been married, what trials had they survived, how the met and on and on. I like being married and keeping my husband happy, so I refrained from going around asking personal questions of complete strangers.

But it didn't keep me from people watching and smiling as I did. Little old ladies and little old men opening doors for one another, waiting on the other to come along as they moved about. Watching them eat breakfast together. How much fun to see them eating the same foods, as they though over time their choices had grown to be similar. Lovely older women with their jewelry just so and their lipstick on just right. After all, they still wanted to look good for their man. The men were opening doors for the women and waiting on them to sit down before they started eating. There is something endearing about the unspoken way that couples who are at that stage of life and after many years of marriage somehow just know what the other wants and needs. No words were necessary.

The last 25 years have been anything but boring. The next 25 are going to be better. I pray that God allows us to grow old together gracefully and that He is gracious to us. One of the joys of growing older will be the blessing of growing together.