Nancy and I just celebrated 46 yrs of marriage. Incredible years filled with the joys of shared experiences, children, grandchildren. Just so many magical remembrances. Of course there were the down times too, and yes if I’m totally truthful even a question at times if I’d selected the right partner. I’m sure Nance had her own misgivings at times too! Maybe you. Or maybe this is just me. Ok.

All marriages are tenuous at times. Duh! The strains brought on by the money issues, conflict, manufactured or real, just the stuff that challenges you… drives you crazy. We are good at righting the ship… usually. All relationships … especially marriages are very mixed bags aren’t they. With the divorce rate in the US, I guess I may have a point.

This year, I tried something. What if I could simply try to imagine, the many times Nancy and I so enjoyed over our 46 years together? Pull from memory the very best of us. Those really joyous experiences when we laughed, were amazed, just loved each other… purely, magically. Kind of lived 46 years as though they were 1.So, I got out pen and paper and wrote ’em all down. The trips. The graduations. The births of our grandchildren. A few less obvious ones. A dance. The two of us really being “together”… you know what mean. Electricity. Exchanging genuinely those words, eye to eye,”

I love you.”I traveled through all the emotions. Meditated on them one early morning. Returning as though I was experiencing them all over again. Felt like the first time. What fun! What laughs! What tears! What enjoyment. “How ’bout this? Remember that?! Honestly, I was a little surprised. But then so, so thankful. For it all. Sure the tough times are still in my memory bank too. But this was about the joys, not the challenges.It was as though I’d just experienced, pulled all those years into the present. 46 years in 1. January, February … What fun!

On our 46th I bought Nance her favorite lilies, found a funny card, a loving one too. We went to dinner with best friends. My “light” was very bright as we celebrated 46. My love abounded for her. All those great times, experiences resonated in me. In a real way. Because I’d just relived 46 in 1.