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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsIs there a medal for 42 years of hardship duty, continuous service, and courage in the face of adversity?
My wife married me 42 years ago today!
She's not an idiot. It wasn't her idea. It was my brother's idea. He invited us to our wedding.
Well, originally he invited us to his wedding, but when I said we'd both be there, he said, well, in that case, why not make it a double wedding? I said it sounded like a cool idea, but I'd half to check with the German half. It takes two to tango, after all. I was in Boston when I was talking to my brother, and my girlfriend was in the Ruhr district of Germany. So, I called her up and said my brother and his girlfriend (she was from Tokyo) were getting married in Washignton, and we were invited. Did she think she could get free then? She said absolutely, she'd be there. Then I told her about his suggestion with the double wedding. She said, "sure, works for me." Not the most romantic of proposals, but after 8 years, it wasn't like it was more than a paperwork formaility for us.
The reception looked like an informal meeting of the UN General Assembly, and the parents' table was the most peaceful ever, even with my atheist parents, my wife's Catholic parents and my brother's Shinto Buddhist in-laws. My parents knew English, French, and some Spanish. My wife's parents knew only German and Pladdütsch, and my sister-in-law's folk spoke only Japanese. Besides the obligatory band hired by my mom and my brother, I played Cletic and Appalachian duets with a fiddle-playing friend from the Netherlands, who also played a Norwegian Wedding March solo. Guests were from all over East Asia, as well as Transylvania, Surinam and Denmark, not to mention exotic places like New York and Massachusetts.
I'll confess that even after eight years, I couldn't believe my luck that a smart, beautiful woman like her saw anything in me--although the simple answer is that maybe she didn't. She is nearsighted, and doesn't like to wear her glasses.
MOMFUDSKI
(5,637 posts)your life! Happy Anniversary. And, yes, there is a medal. Go find it
DFW
(54,436 posts)My wife would never wear it anyway.
When I told her we were going to meet the President, she just asked, "Why? What do I say to the President of the United States, anyway?" I said to just say "Nice to meet you, Mister President!" She shrugged, and said, OK, if you say so.
LittleGirl
(8,291 posts)DFW
(54,436 posts)cachukis
(2,270 posts)than one.
DFW
(54,436 posts)But I try to keep it under wraps as much as possible. I'm sensitive that way....
Fla Dem
(23,741 posts)All the best to both of you.
The sun even came out today!
70sEraVet
(3,512 posts)I assume your brother and sister-in-law are still together, celebrating THEIR anniversary?
DFW
(54,436 posts)I just got off the phone with him in Langley. I'll be running over there next week, but my wife has too much to do here, and can't make it. Retirement is a bitch, it seems. She now never has time for anything.
Yes, they are still together back in northern Virginia, near where we grew up.
lastlib
(23,284 posts)Happy Anniversary to a great foursome!
DFW
(54,436 posts)SouthernDem4ever
(6,617 posts)DFW
(54,436 posts)Joinfortmill
(14,456 posts)DFW
(54,436 posts)irisblue
(33,021 posts)DFW
(54,436 posts)But I know I got lucky, believe me.
niyad
(113,550 posts)she see in you? Heart, soul, intelligence, kindness, a wicked sense of humour, a truly amazing person, as is she. Kindred spirits. Raising a glass to you and your lady today, with wishes for many more.
You always post something I then feel obligated to try my utmost to live up to!
IbogaProject
(2,840 posts)Happy anniversary!
DFW has posted pictures and maybe described other details in previous years. I think I first read this for their 38th.
DFW
(54,436 posts)My wife was with her father, patiently waiting to walk down the aisle.
rubbersole
(6,723 posts)...beautiful. Happy Anniversary! Many more, DFW, many more.
DFW
(54,436 posts)So, I'm pretty sure that wasn't who I married
eppur_se_muova
(36,287 posts)DFW
(54,436 posts)I think she worked at the World Bank's South America desk, and my brother's wife was high up in the Asian desk. She spoke some Taki Taki to me, sort of a Dutch Creole languiage, but that was beyond me, although it soundeed cool, as I remember. I hadn't learned Dutch yet. My fiddle playing friend who was there seemed to be able to talk to her in some version of Dutch.
eppur_se_muova
(36,287 posts)DFW
(54,436 posts)Suriname, Curaçao, Aruba and St. Maarten in the western Hemisphere, and Belgium, Netherlands and (kinda, sorta) South Africa in the Eastern hemisphere.
PatSeg
(47,585 posts)It must have been an unforgettable event.
Happy Anniversary!
DFW
(54,436 posts)But you're right, it was unforgettable.
highplainsdem
(49,034 posts)It has been a nice ride so far. Even cancer couldn't stop her, and it tried twice!
mountain grammy
(26,648 posts)DFW
(54,436 posts)karin_sj
(812 posts)Happy anniversary and congratulations on 42 happy years together. My husband and I were also married in 1982 and celebrated 42 years in January. Sounds like you both hit the jackpot when you found each other!
DFW
(54,436 posts)She thought it was just a nice summer fling, that America was as far away as the dark side of the moon, and that after the summer, she'd never see me again.
I, on the other hand, thought, if you ever let her get away, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. And so I did everything I could to make sure I didn't let her get away. It has worked, so far.
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,694 posts)And I can tell you, from my own experience, that she saw plenty of reasons to marry you! Smart, funny, multi-lingual, curious, sexy, and the list goes on!
You had such a beautiful wedding day! It makes me smile to read about it.
DFW
(54,436 posts)Later on, she got to appreciate that. When we were in Russia, and she couldn't read any of the signs, then she REALLY got to appreciate it, and never left my side!
KS Toronado
(17,316 posts)DFW
(54,436 posts)I'll remember to pick it up!
KS Toronado
(17,316 posts)DFW
(54,436 posts)CaptainTruth
(6,601 posts)malthaussen
(17,216 posts)Possibly not 42, but who knows?
-- Mal
DFW
(54,436 posts)At this point, we barely schedule 42 days into the future. With my job, I can hardly schedule 42 hours into the future.
We figure being alive when it comes is the goal in itself.
Awesome!!!!!!!!!!
Happy Anniversary
One more year of water flowing under the bridge.......
GoneOffShore
(17,340 posts)Mrs GoS and I have been together since 1981.
DFW
(54,436 posts)This July marks 50 years since we met in that dark cabaret in West Berlin.
If you had told us then that we would be married grandparents 50 years later, I would have said, " wow, lucky me!" and she would have said, "whatever it is you're on, keep your distance, because even possession is enough to get get you arrested!"
Lochloosa
(16,068 posts)You definitely got the best end of that deal.
Congrats!
DFW
(54,436 posts)She might hear you and realize how right you are!
Hekate
(90,788 posts)We hope to stick around for a while longer!
Permanut
(5,634 posts)DFW
(54,436 posts)Oh, well, Im the last to deny it!