Count Your Blessings

A beautiful thing happened today. A couple here in the park celebrated their 50th anniversary with a dinner party held in our clubhouse and attended by 136 family and friends. They were blessed with a perfect, sunny, warm Florida day and the hall was decorated beautifully by both family and friends, also. There seemed to be a scent of happiness in the air as people scurried about doing their best to make this day a good one for this lovely couple.

Caroline and Charles have two sons, one of whom was our master of ceremonies and one who is a chef. The chef did his magic, creating delicious pans of lasagna, chicken and biscuits, and meatloaf. The guests each brought salads or potato dishes. Everything I piled onto my plate was excellent and we all agreed it was one of the best dinners we've had in the clubhouse all winter.

But before the feast began, Caroline and Charles stood before our resident minister, Bill, and renewed their vows of 50 years ago. Both of them in their early 70's, looking at each other with such love in their eyes, and surrounded by the fruit of their lives together...children, grandchild, and many friends. It was a genuinely beautiful moment for all of us to witness.

Caroline looked so pretty in her bright pink suit...she always dresses in colorful clothes so something beige would have been out of character for her. Charles looked nice, too, and didn't mind being outshone by his wife. They both have some physical disabilities so chairs were provided for them to sit occasionally during the ceremony. No matter, it just drove home the message that love can endure long after the blush of youth has been left behind. These two people are committed to one another and have been for fifty years. I have no doubt they will continue their commitment to each other until the end of their lives.

That was the happy, loving couple of the day.

Then this little conversation was overheard from another couple. Keep in mind that this was all said in a joking manner.

she..."You've got a red nose."

he..."Well, you've got a big ass!"

..(long shocked silence)..

she..."Well, you've got a small dick!"

And we all laughed ourselves silly. Enough of the shmarmy, lovey stuff and now we're back to the reality of some other marriages.