My mom and dad will be married 40 years on March 15. It's astonishing to me that two people can be married for that long. I think it is fantastic and I absolutely love that God chose me to be the son of these two amazing parents. I sometimes wonder why I deserved to grow up in such a loving and God fearing family when so many people out there aren't so blessed. My mom dropped out of high school at 15 to get married to my dad. Dad, of course, was 18. They waited until March 15 because my mom turned 16 on March 11. Mom did go back to get her G.E.D. several years later. Dad was almost immediately drafted to Vietnam and while he was away at war my mom gave birth to my brother. My dad didn't get to see him for the first year of his life. I didn't come around for close to ten years later. Dad went into the coal mines a couple years after coming home from Vietnam and by God's grace has been working in the same location for the last 36 years. He will retire from there soon.
I know that God played the most crucial role in keeping my mom and dad together all those years. My dad has always told me that if you keep God in the center of your life, He will take care of the rest. Mom and dad were dragging me to church before I was old enough to know what was going on and continued dragging me throughout my youth. There were many times when I would have rather done anything than go to church, but now (as they said I would someday) I am thankful for all those Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night services.
Amanda and I are having a surprise 40th anniversary party for them on March 13. I am still in the process of making a slide show (on the new Imac i should add) and Amanda has put together the most amazing invitations and decorations. I hope to have 40 to 50 friends and family to be there. I hope they enjoy it! I guess this is my way of trying to thank them for the countless things they have done for me over the years without hesitation. I'll never be able to repay them, but I hope I can be the man that they will always be proud of.
