An Entire Lifetime Together

A Momentous Anniversary

First comes love, then comes marriage,

Then comes someone with a baby carriage,

This is the traditional order of life events in the stereotypical way,

However, life doesn’t always happen accordingly today,

Yet one couple I know has surpassed all marital expectations,

Celebrating their 68^th wedding anniversary is quite a feat for human relations,

My parents in their late eighties are achieving this nearly impossible accomplishment,

On November 16, 1951, the two of them became each other’s compliment,

Young and just out of high school, they married with a swiftness,

On the porch of the preacher’s house, his wife their only witness,

There were no fancy wedding plans, no money for such ceremony,

My Dad sold a cow to pay the preacher for the matrimony,

A honeymoon in Gatlinburg for them was especially grand,

It snowed overnight and soon became a winter wonderland,

Right away my Dad was drafted to serve in the military,

While my mother,left behind,mailed him a letter daily,

For nearly 2 years my Dad had active duty in the Korean war,

He experienced tragedy he’d never seen before,

To get back home safe and sound was the ultimate plan,

By the grace of God, he returned and their life together began,

My grandfather built a small house for them on the corner of his land,

But It was seven years later before their family would expand,

My sister was born on the fourth of July in 1958,

Then only eighteen months later, I was born; I guess I couldn’t wait!

Anyway, this is how John and Julia became a family of four,

Then they moved to Knoxville and weren’t country folks anymore,

They owned and operated their businesses with plenty of success,

Until retirement, when they finally took a needed rest,

They’ve enjoyed life living in an A-frame on the lake since then,

And reminisce about the old times ‘cause they’d do it all again,

Sixty-eight years is an entire lifetime together,

They've survived it through all kinds of weather!

Congratulations to you both! With love,

Wishing you abundant blessings from God above.

Tammy Harvey

Written:  11/13/2019