Fifty Years

This is a 3 inch by 3 inch photo my brother took after our wedding. We have a formal portrait taken a week later but it has faded a bit. Getting to the church in Toledo after teaching all day in a suburb of Cleveland was an adventure. There was sleet the entire trip. Tom's best man and his wife caravaned with us. Both couples had old cars. But we made it.

My sister, Nellie, took care of most of the arrangements in Toledo for which I have always been thankful. Afterward, those who witnessed the ceremony shared a meal with us at a local restaurant. Tom and I had received our degrees in teaching that summer,  We didn't have much money but we had enough.

By 1972, we had begun traveling with the children. Usually we camped since that was cheaper than renting motels. More adventures. In the background is the Washington Monument.

This portrait is dated 1983. Our oldest was in college and I suddenly realized that we had no formal photo of the five of us. The boys are wearing cut-off jeans. I was lucky to get them into suit coats.

We had a formal portrait taken for our thirtieth anniversary. Our anniversary trip was to the west. We explored  the California coast. Tom remembers that I saw the Black Oystercatcher (It's a bird.) while he was in the Portipotty. We have never seen another one.

We had a family and friends party for our fortieth anniversary. I'm glad we did. This is the only photo we have of all the grandchildren together. The grandchildren are beginning to scatter across the country.

Neither of us thought about the possibility of celebrating fifty years together when we married. We were thinking of tomorrow, of next year.

Looking back, fifty years feels like a short time.

My advice...just keep breathing. Laughing helps.