What a wonderful statement! I ran across an envelope that my father had written comments on about his marriage over the years. My mother and father were married in 1943, during World War II. Dad was stationed at the Presidio in San Francisco, and Mom was working in that city as well. They met on a blind date, fell in love and were married. They both worked hard, and raised their family, and went through some rough times and some good times. And lived happily ever after until Dad passed away in 1977. My mother was so lucky to have a man who would feel free to express to her verbally as well as in action, his decided love for her.
On the envelope – a brown one from the War Department which contains their Certificate of Marriage – he wrote a comment about their marriage for most of the years they were married. I’ll let the words he wrote speak for themselves:
1944 – WONDERFUL!
1946 – Super Marvelous!
1947 – Still WONDERFUL!
1949 – Words fail me – it couldn’t be more wonderful!
1950 – What can I say? I’m in love!!!
1951 – More wonderful than EVER!
1952 – Can’t get any more wonderful – but it does!!!
1953 – Beautiful – Beautiful – Wonderful & Marvelous. These words are so inadequate to express my deep love.
1955 – I’m running out of words – but I love it!
1960 – Still most wonderful, wonderful!!!
1961 – One wish – that all men could have such a wonderful wife and such a wonderful marriage!
1964 – How – How can love be so wonderfully satisfactory and lovely!
1966 – More, More and More Wonderful!
1969 – I wish that all people in the world could share my happiness and love.
1970 – More wonderful than I deserve!
1971 – Beautiful love!!!
1972 – Love! Love! Love!
1973 – Running out of space but never out of love. Our marriage is SO beautiful!!!
1974 – I’m in love!
1976 – I love my Betty so deeply and devotedly! She is marvelous!
Dad had contracted cancer several years before his last entry on the envelope, yet he never gave up his positive attitude, loving Mom and his family. It was apparent to my brother and myself throughout our growing up years, and I learned so much from him.
How life has changed since those days of a good marriage because they worked at it, through good times and rough times. Dad had a very rough childhood, raised by a single mom and quitting school at age 14 to go to work on a boat on the lakes near Chicago. He was later mistreated by his stepdad. He had never gone to church, but insisted that we kids went every Sunday with Mom. Near the end of his life, he accepted Christ into his heart. He suffered greatly – they didn’t have hospice in those days, so Mom cared for him until he passed. He never complained, he always encouraged, he sacrificed to keep food and shelter for his family, and he loved. Oh, how he loved. What a role model and an example in so many ways!
Since then, Mom passed into Heaven, so there would be a grand reunion – sharing eternity with the greatest Love of all – our Lord Jesus Christ.