Friday, December 26, 2014

Our Thirtieth Wedding Anniversary

Pre-wedding studio photo, about November 1984
Dorine and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary on December 18.  My health issues resulting from the cruise we took to celebrate our 25th anniversary have sort of killed the idea of our taking another cruise -- or any expensive vacation, for that matter -- for number thirty.  As usual, I don't know where the time has gone.  I don't know what I did to be so lucky in selecting a spouse, but I can't imagine any other woman putting up with my foibles and shortcomings for so long while still prodding me, in sufficiently gentle fashion, to be a better person. I've never really been worthy of Dorine, but I am extremely grateful for her and for the positive influence she's been on all of our family members.  The attached portrait was from a photographic studio session a few weeks before our wedding in the Salt Lake Temple.  I have ballooned from 180 lbs to 240 lbs in the last thirty years, but Dorine possibly weighs 10-15 lbs more than when we were married.  When I see how most women let themselves go over time, I realize how much more blessed I am to be married to Dorine.  I'd like to think we have another thirty years in us, but I'm fairly sure I'm not going to live to age 85.