What I didn’t know 52 years ago

 

I married Bob Buchner on September 18th 1971, exactly 52 years ago today.

There are quite a lot of things I didn’t know then. 

I didn’t know the years would go so fast.

I didn’t know I’d one day live in the Capital District of New York State in a suburb of Albany. 

I didn’t know my children would be carried in the wombs of other women. 

I didn’t know I’d love them as much as if I’d given birth to them physically. 

I didn’t know how precious my one and only grandson would be.

I didn’t know that being able to take a nap on my anniversary would be such a fabulous event. 

I didn’t know I would be happy to eat leftovers on my actual anniversary. After all, wasting the food would make me sad. 

I didn’t know that I would be blessed with the most wonderful friends living nearby; friends I would never have met if we didn’t move north of the Whitestone Bridge. 

I didn’t know how many aches and pains descend upon a person in the golden years. 

I didn’t know what a mystery God would become as I got older.  

I didn’t know how excited I would be to look for the Divine, nonetheless. 

I didn’t really know what it would feel like to say goodbye to the previous generation. 

I didn’t know I’d ever be ready to go outside the house without wearing eye makeup. 

I didn’t know topics of conversations would change so much.  

I didn’t know I’d feel so tired some days.