~Sixteen Years and Counting~

Chris, Barbara, Hunter, Oliver, October 28, 2010, Lugoff, South Carolina

Sixteen years ago today, October 28, 1995, was a very special day in the lives of our family!  It was the day Curt and Linda's,only son, Christopher Todd Lane, from Powell, Tennessee, married Barbara Ann Reed, the second daughter of Sid and Barbara Reed, from St. Louis, Missouri.  It was a beautiful day in St. Louis, there were clear skies with a slight chill in the air and the sun was shinning ever so brightly to bless the joining of these two and their  marriage to each other.

We were warmly welcomed by Barbara's St Louis family and friends the evening before at the rehearsal dinner, hosted so kindly by Barbara's Mom, Barbara, at her restaurant in St. Charles, Missouri..  We were able to become better acquainted in a comfortable setting thanks to her generous hospitality. As we always tried to stress to both of our children, that when you marry you are not just marrying the person you are in love with, you are also marrying their family.  Curt and I felt truly blessed, not only by their choices of a life mate, but by the coming together of  wonderful extended family members that have now become friends, as well as family.

We traveled to St. Louis from Tennessee, with our entourage of Curt and Linda Lane, proud parents of the groom, sister Amy Noel, loving grandparents of their first grandson, Muriel (Granny) and Byron (Papa)Johnson, Gail and Wayne Crawley, our dear friends and neighbors, Brenda, G.W. and daughter Angie Boles, our friends and family minister for many years, who graciously agreed to perform the ceremony. Chris's, Uncle Byron Jr. and his new bride, Aunt Brenda Bacon Johnson traveled from Denver, as well as Uncle Jim, and cousin's Jo Dee and Mindy Johnson came from Yukon, Oklahoma.  Paternal Great Aunt Virginia and Great Uncle Willard Phillips, from Harrison, Arkansas and paternal cousins, Tobe and Geneva Tennyson  and their daughter Janice, and son-in-law Dennis Williams of Ray-town, Missouri.  Chris's best childhood friends, Gordon and Dan Rhyne, Mike Watson, Amy, Duke Blevins, and Steve Jenkins. Our family was joyful that we could be there to see this special time in Chris and Barbara's life.

I am sorry to say I can't remember all of Barbara's relatives names other than her Mom, Barbara, Dad, Sid and his wife Pat, sister's Debbie and her two daughters, and Cindy and her husband Link, but their were many loving and kind relatives as well as friends, that were their to participate in the wedding festivities.  It was a lovely celebration hosted by two very loving parents.

It is almost overwhelming to me as I sit here writing these words that so much can happen in the span of such a short amount of time like 16 years.  During these 16 years there have many highs and lows but through it all, we have continued to move forward.  Chris and Barbara have experienced the joyfulness of sharing their lives with two sons Hunter Reed, and Oliver Trent.  Just as Curt and myself as well as Sid and Barbara have reaped the joy of being grandparents to two fine strapping young men. They have endured the stress of losing their jobs, moving homes, facing the trials and tribulations of financial concerns, health issues, and the upheavals of uncertainty about what tomorrow might bring.  Through it all they have learned that marriage is somewhat like one of  Big Daddy's garden's, in order to grow healthy and quality fruit and vegetables, there has to be daily tending to the weeds that are constantly trying to interrupt the tender shoots, as they are trying to get established.  There must be constant nourishment, not only through food and water, but lots of tender loving care with kindness, touch and encouragement.  A nice dose of fun, like playing cards, singing and joyfully ribbing each other doesn't hurt either!

As parent's our wish for our children is that they find someone who love's and cares for them so completely that when, we, as parents, are no longer able to be with them in our earthly bodies, they have a partner that will help them through the rough patch's, love them on the good and bad days, and hold their hand when they say their final good bye's.  This is the way of true love.  My parent's, Curt's parent's, and Curt and I were privileged to experience this type of marriage that lasted a lifetime.  Were we just lucky?  Not hardly!  We were fortunate enough to meet a life mate that loved us in-spite of ourselves and our nefarious in adequacies.  Through the years they were strong when we were weak, they were loving when we were full of ourselves,  they were understanding and forgiving, when we made mistakes and through it all they cherished the principals of God's teachings,
John 13:34-35 (NIV) ³⁴ “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵ By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
All of those dear ones that I mentioned previously, but myself, are gone now, they are with our Father in Heaven.  All but one is with their life partner, someday I hope to join my true love and once again feel his loving embrace.  It is a treasure beyond all value and when you have once experienced such a treasure, there can be no other to take it's place.

So today on Chris and Barbara's anniversary I offer up our love and best wishes as always!  I am remembering the many years filled with memories that have moved you to this point on your journey, I am cherishing the growth of your love as you have blossomed from the first bloom of your relationship to the place you are at now.  I encourage you both to always remember the parable of Big Daddy's garden when you hit a bump on your journey and to rejoice that you have learned through your  previous experience's how to gently and tenderly go forward towards home.

Chris, you are following in your Dad's footsteps and I know this is not an easy path but you have all the tools to be a Courageous head of your household as a son, husband, dad, brother,son-in-law, brother-in-law and all of the many other hat's that you have been given to wear.  Please remember you were chosen by God and he lovingly encourages you to do your best in all ways.

Barbara, each day is a new challenge and you gladly and willingly step forward and say I will, as each challenge comes your way.  I admire and respect your ability to be a  positive and encouraging force for your family.  I love you and all that you have meant to Curt and I these last 16 years.  I thank you for loving us and caring for us even when we were not so lovable.  Sometimes, as you have found out, warts come out of no where and they take awhile to wear off, but when they are finally gone, you are so relieved that you have removed the blemish you forgot that they were there at all!  I am looking forward to all that the future years will bring to all of us and to sharing it together as a family!

God bless you both as you go forward on your marital journey!
God has given us different beautiful days to celebrate;
your anniversary day is one of them.
This was the day when you were blessed with best friend,
a lover and a partner for whole life,
may you have many more such happiness and memories.
Happy anniversary day!

I love you both.  LSJL
and as the song you danced to says you are both 'Unforgettable'