Today would have been our 50th anniversary, designated as the “Golden” anniversary. I would have loved to be celebrating that today! It never seems like enough time. We were married 42 years when I lost Gary, but we were together for 45.
I am thankful for those 45 years, and today I will remember all the memories we shared, good and bad, as both are part of our story. Gary was a good man, a good husband, a good father, a good Papoo, and a good friend to many. I thank God for bringing us together.
I have learned how to get through the loss, but I’ll never get over it. I am now, after 8 years, finally trying to rebuild my life. It had taken a while to learn to go from that “we” to that “me” I struggled with early on in this journey. I’ve learned I really am strong, both physically and mentally.
I’ve had to deal with more crisis than I would have liked. I’ve learned things about more “stuff” than I wanted to, and I would have rather been able to stay ignorant about. I’ve have had to learn to fight battles my husband used to fight for me.
It’s usually in times of crisis or distress that we seek the Lord more. My faith has grown, as I know God had my hand through the roughest spots. He still has my hand as I try to honor my husband’s memory by being the best widow I can be.
To my husband in Heaven: “Gary, I still miss you, still think of you everyday, and will always love you. You always told me, “You got this, Babe!” Happy Anniversary, and “I’ve got this” until we meet again.”
I DIDN’T GIVE UP! 