Anniversary

Twenty years ago
I walked down the aisle
To marry him.
All of the possible distractions of the day,
The wrinkled dresses
The reception hall chairs set up in rows
Like toy soldiers
The missing ushers.
The dress caught in the car door
The aunt with the purple hair.
All of the possible problems
Had no ability to distract.
Peace was in my soul
Love was in my heart
Because he was standing
At the end of the aisle.

Life has moved on
Sometimes galloping
as our children have been born
And have grown as if the camera were set
on time lapse.
Sometimes creeping
As we worry about both of them
And each other.
Twenty years is the blink of an eye
And is twice a lifetime.
But through it all
Peace has been in my soul
Love has been in my heart
Because he has been standing
In the kitchen
At the end of the day.

Twenty years have passed
Since we both said "I will"
"I do"
"I will love this person in front of me
For the rest of my life."
All of the possible distractions
Can't take away from that one promise.
Not the bills
Not the broken appliances,
or the cars which just stop.
Not the messes the kids create
or the dirty clothes.
Not the worries, or the time apart,
And not the water in the basement.
All of it fades in importance
Because
Peace is in my soul.
Love is in my heart.
Because he is standing
By my side.

Happy 20th Anniversary, Steve. I love you.

Image: Our wedding, obviously. Very young. In the photo (from left to right)--> Jenny (cousin), Lora, Me, Dr. Wood, Steve, Bob, Greg, David. In the pews, front row, from left to right --> Mom, Dad, George, Judy (all backs of heads).