The luckiest man alive

Marriage is a conversation, and ours has been a wonderful dialogue for the last nine years. Today we celebrated our anniversary in the house that we built together.

We enjoyed our favorite meal and talked about all the things left to do. We shared a bottle of a special adult beverage and afterwards lit a few candles.

Now, as I watch the sheets slowly rise and fall with each breath you take, time seems to dissolve around us. As the night comes together outside our door in an orchestra of sound, I think about the many anniversaries ahead of us and can’t help but smile.

When our 25th anniversary comes around, we will cancel our cruise to Alaska. There was another event more important that we had to attend that day. It will be hard to believe that it has been a quarter of a century since we walked down the aisle and your mom married us. She would be proud it has lasted so long.

I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate our special day than in a hospital, awaiting the birth of our first grandchildren.

The Boy’s been married now for five years to a wonderful lady he says reminds him of you. They’re expecting triplets, a boy of his own and two girls.

If asked, he’d say he’s not ready to be a dad. I got news for him; his father felt the same way when he came into the world.

He’ll do fine with his boy, and when it comes to the girls, he won’t have to worry. You now have someone to pass all those wonderful recipes down to. Over the years, those recipes have helped to expand my waistline, and made me the envy of all who attend the family reunions.

We will celebrate out 50th anniversary in Venice. What better place to renew our vows than the city of love? It is only one of many trips we promised to take before age robed us of our vitality.

They say old age is a time for reflection. Unfortunately they are right. At age 90, I’ll have come to peace with my life, save one thing: Not spending enough of it with you, the only lady I truly loved.

On our 60th wedding anniversary, you will celebrate alone — it will be the last. The ever- present sparkle in those blue eyes will be absent, replaced by an unrelenting stream of salty tears.

The Boy tries to comfort you on this our special day, but to no avail. The only person who can give solace and mend your broken heart had been taken long ago.

Had it been a year or maybe 10? At 94, you really won’t know; the memory that had served so well was finally failing, unlike the love still burning for the only man you would ever marry.

As if right out of a fairy tale, 11 years ago two lost souls were brought together on a blind date. And have been happily-ever-after ever since.

Unable to sleep, I rise quietly to get dressed and go upstairs. This story must be penned before sleep chases the thoughts from my mind as it has so many times before.

Every anniversary in the past we have spent together has been special. The ones in the future will be also, but this night ... this night is more special that all the rest.

It’s in the present – a gift from God. And so are you, my love. Truly, I’m the luckiest man alive. Happy anniversary.