50 Years

I love celebrating anniversaries, wedding ones in particular. There is just something about honoring the moment two people chose to join together for this lifetime and face whatever is to come there way. Marriage is more than a piece of paper, more than a legal commitment, it is a covenant made before God to be one and to make it last... every year you can look back and say 'we made another year!' is reason to celebrate. Looking back at the highs and lows, the times you were totally on the same page and those times you were just 'broken together.' It's a great day to look forward and dream about what might still be coming your way.

Yesterday we celebrated 50 years of marriage with Mom and Dad and will do so again in 7 weeks with the family in Banff but I couldn't let the actual day slip by without honouring the two who have showed me what marriage really looks like. They aren't perfect and Dad would get mad at me if I suggested otherwise but they have always set an example of sticking together, even when it wasn't easy. 50 years brings a lot of life experiences and you can guarantee it isn't all good. There will always be moments you wish you could go back and do differently and moments you wish you could relive because they were so perfect. There will always be things you wish hadn't happened and things you are still waiting for that may never happen. Life doesn't play out the way you think it will when you stand at that altar and pledge for better or for worse. But through all those moments Mom and Dad had each other's backs and that means a lot. They didn't always agree and I'm sure have had some rip roaring fights along the way but they are there for each other and know that won't change until the day one of them is called Home and in the meantime they will enjoy each others company and continue to love each other with everything they've got.

I'm so proud of my parents and I love them dearly. It was a joy to share some time with them last night. It is a privilege to be the one who lives in the same town as them. I am thankful to be so close and to enjoy the time with them. I have now planned parties for their 30th, 35th, 40th, 45th and 50th anniversaries and I pray I get to plan at least a few more :)