14 June 2011

The Absolute Best Decision of my Life


He was not the first man I loved, not even the second but he is by far the best man I have loved. Both of us had thought we had found the people we would share our lives with earlier in life and been on the heartbroken end of love. If my faith and understanding had been anywhere near as strong as it is now I would have known that God truly does have a plan for each of us. Even though we had to take some wrong turns and thought we would never have the love we wanted, God had already marked us for each other. I had had many long term relationships but this one wasn't. I had quit my job at the School for the Deaf, moved back to the college town I had not loved and gone back to school. He was a year out of college, almost 4 years younger than me and had just moved to the college town for his first real job with a major pharmaceutical company. We met in late September (yay ECU football) and had our first date October 4th.


 He professed his love before Christmas, my Mama and oldest sister told me not "to hurt that boy" (he was so young and sweet and innocent looking)




Right after 1986 arrived I knew he had my heart. He proposed at Duke Gardens on March 4th...don't be thinking he was ohhhh sooo romantic!! We had just had an amazing weekend in Boone (no proposal on the mountaintop)





and spent a few hours walking the gardens in the city he had spent his high school years in (no proposal)  butttt he waited until I was in the car to kneel down in the gravel parking lot, take out a family heirloom ring and ask me to marry him. We had hoped to get married in late summer but my minister always took that month off, somehow instead of moving the date farther out, we set it for June 14th! It took years for it to click for my Mama that we hadn't known each other a year and that he was really 3 3/4 years younger than me. She still is stunned every time his birthday comes around. I am the oldest child in his family, he is the youngest in mine.  For our honeymoon we went to Charleston SC and that is where we are as you read this (well, if you are reading on the 14th).



We have checked into the hotel that we spent our honeymoon in and have already enjoyed several days a little north of here at the beach. We have a system to anniversary planning...Stephen is even and I am odd....yes, he is even tempered and I can be a bit odd but what that means is which years we are responsible for planning. So although he certainly has known since Sunday we were in SC, he hasn't known until check in where we will be spending the night.


I have been so incredibly blessed by God's choice for me all these years. I know that I would have had a good life but oh my dear, sweet Stephen, my Chosen One, I know I would not have had this most glorious life that I share with you. Thank you for the last twenty five years! I love you very, very much ;)


17 comments:

  1. Happy Anniversary Bev & Stephen! Have a GLORIOUS TRIP:)
    Love,
    Susan & Jimmy

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  2. Wonderful post, lovely story beautifully told. Congratulations on your anniversary x

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  3. A wonderful post.Happy Anniversary to you both.

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  4. Happy Anniversary to both of you!

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  5. Happy Anniversary! Hope you have a GLORIOUS time! Loved the story : )

    cheryl

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  6. May you share another 25 years together! Let the celebrations continue!!

    Joyce B

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  7. Congratulations to my Nephew Stephen ,( Who may not be my Nephew any more do to soon life changes with his mom and my brother(Rip Ernie) . To me he sitll my Nepwhew. I heard about the first time you met, the first kiss. How much he loved you. The teasing Stephen other Aunt Kathleen got. For Beverly was her house mother at the school for the deaf. It's amazining how yall were ment to be together one life touch so many others, The day you were married was a joyious event. Its hard to belive its been 25 yrs since you said I do to each other. Coungrations to you both. Im am so proud of you . God has truly bless you both . Love Aunt Donna.

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  8. Wishing you both a very happy anniversary and may happy years together to come!

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  9. Aw! I love this post! The photos are adorable, Beverly. Congratulations to you both. ♥

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  10. Congratulations! How lovely to share the story of your meeting and marrying :)

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  11. Happy Anniversary to the two of you. This is such a lovley tribute to your love. God certainly did bless you both and I hope the next 25 years will be even more wonderful.

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  12. Belated congratulations - a fab post and so romantic - TFS.
    And yes I think the exam went well -it was hard but she tried her best and that's all we can ask for - now we have to wait til August for the results

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  13. hi beverly - happy anniversary to you and your mr! what a sweet post! i just had to stop by and visit you after the comment you left me today. (thank you btw - comments always make my day!) i'm SO jealous you've been to sharon springs and the american too!

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  14. Happy anniversary to you both :-)
    Beverly, your love for your husband is so evident by this beautiful tribute - thank you for sharing this with us.

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  15. A belated happy anniversary to you both. I love all the photos in this post and am so pleased for you both that you are still so in love and happy together after 25 years married. My hubbie and I celebrate 25 years next year and will be visiting the States - can't wait!

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  16. this is such a lovely post, I do think God sent DH to me and I think that makes all the difference in a relationship.
    Hope you had a lovely anniversary
    caroline

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  17. I am not only behind in my blog writing, but also my blog reading! This is the sweetest post! After 25 years, I love seeing how much in love you two are!

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YOU ROCK! Seriously, I love getting comments, so know that you have put a bit of added sunshine in my day. Thanks so much and I hope your day is glorious!