40 Years

Back in 1967, a young man took a summer internship in a big, city office in Houston.  He was simply a mail clerk; he made sure memos and letters reached their destination, collated papers and reports, and ran errands as necessary.  It was a good, steady job with plenty of experience in city business, perfect for a young college man.

Each day when the young man would walk through the glass doors of the building, a friendly young face would greet him by name.  The receptionist, he quickly found out, was a summer hire as well, filling in for the regular receptionist who was out for the summer after having a baby.  She had recently graduated from high school, hoping to find a more permanent job in the office when the time came for her temporary employment to end. 

Soon, the young man found himself picking up coffee on his errands for the girl, then lunch, and not too long afterward, it became flowers and invitations for the weekend.  They would dine with her parents or attend church with his; they would go fishing on Saturdays and spend Sundays at the movies.  Quickly, though, August was approaching, the the young man knew he would soon have to leave to go back to school, and the girl would be moving on to another job as well.

There were other plans for the young couple, though.  His grandparents became ill, and the young man made the decision to take a semester off from school to help his parents.  The girl took a new job, but this time, it was much closer to his family as well as hers.  And by October, he offered her a ring and his hand.  She took it.

Forty years ago, my in-laws were married.  They were married in a simple ceremony after church one Sunday, and together they formed a new life, complete with two handsome boys and a comfortable home in which to live.  They raised my husband to be the wonderful man that he is today, and it all started forty years ago.  It is something to be celebrated.

Many people enjoy celebrating the 25th anniversary or the 50th anniversary, but the 40th anniversary is just as special and as meaningful as any other.  We plan on making it a special occasion for my in-laws this year, complete with a reception and fellowship.  It is how they have lived their forty years together: being kind, caring, wonderfully happy and hospitable.  We plan on giving a little of that back to them this next weekend.