Loves lifelong Vow

 Today Mike and I have been married 39 years! Of course we married at 10 -LOL.

At our wedding ceremony (which was very traditional 1974 style) we used the-

Groom: I,____, take thee,_____, to be my lawful wedded Wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I plight thee my troth.

Bride: I,_____, take thee,_____, to be my lawful wedded Husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and to obey, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I give thee my troth

I have no idea what my troth was and how I was supposed to give it but these were the things we said.
I started thinking about all the words we say to one another and giving our pledge is such a lost way of life. I did mean these words even if I didnt fully get it.
So here is my poem to my first and only love-

                            The Vows


The Vows we said were black and white
We had little understanding in the candlelight.

The Vows we said were words of old
From times past when love was often sold.

The Vows we said were meant to last
A pledge, a promise and a lifelong task.

The Vows we spoke were hard to live
But kept love going when there wasnt much to give.

The Vows we said were black and white
Keeping us through our darkest night.
And as the years have hurried by
Our love has been tested and has been tried.

And the words we spoke in black and white
Have burst forth in color illuminated by His Light.








 

Do Rabbits lay Eggs?

Not coming from a religious family Easter had little spiritual significance. Our celebration centered around the basket + the Dress.
I of course believed in the Easter Bunny ( I didn't find out till High School biology that rabbits don't lay eggs).
But I liked the Easter Bunny. He was much easier to please than Santa because I didn't have to worry if I'd been naughty or nice.
He just hopped in with a basket overflowing with candy and weird synthetic grass. He left the Dress hanging properly with shoes + purse and was gone.

So each year through the mid 1960's the Dress was the main event.
It was always pink or some Spring pastel, loaded down with flowery trim, rough scratchy petticoat or other lavish decoration.
To complete the ensemble - patent leather shoes  (usually white), matching purse,white gloves + some kind of hat or bow.

My sister and I would spend Easter morning giggling, twirling and admiring one another.

But the Big Reveal usually became the Big Disappointment.
Easter dresses are stiff and itchy.
The shoes are new and tight.
The gloves made my hands sweat and I could never think of anything to put in my purse!

That was a long time ago and Im so glad Ive come to understand that I dont have to be naughty or nice, have the perfect dress or a purse full of interesting objects to celebrate God's gracious love for me and all the world. His sacrifice on the Cross clothes me forever in garments that dont decay, fills my emptiness and never disappoints.  This is the Joy and Promise of Easter.