Elizabeth (and Garrett),
At the time that Gary and I were married, the pastor performing the ceremony told a story which at the time seemed odd to me. After 26 years of marriage, I have grown to fully appreciate the wisdom hidden in that story. As the story goes, there was a man who, in the interest of ensuring that his marriage would last, arose every morning, looked in the mirror and said to himself "You are not such great stuff yourself, you know". Sharing love means sharing at our best and at our worst. I cherish Gary's friendship. His kindness, support, honesty and faith have helped me through the most difficult of times. We have many wonderful memories of working, playing, parenting, and loving. Nevertheless, when I find mud on the carpet, dishes piled high, or an unfinished project, I remind myself to look in the mirror. I know that my own short-comings, at times, must frustrate Gary. We have both grown through marriage and continually try to accommodate each other's needs or desires. Gary has learned to make the bed in the morning and I sometimes take out the trash. We have formed a partnership which daily requires both give and take. The vows which we shared on our wedding day have stood the test of time.
We promised:
To love and cherish each other as unique individuals.
That our love would be patient, understanding, accepting, forgiving, filled with honesty and trust.
To support each other's growth and allow space for growth.
To challenge each other to better understand ourselves, the world around us and to use our gifts and talents to build God's kingdom.
To consider the other's physical, emotional and spiritual well being to be as important as our own.
As I was looking through our scrapbook, I found the attached note which you apparently wrote en route to our wedding. (Let me know if you cannot enlarge and read it and I will send it via email.) It was such a joy to have so many of our friends and family supporting our union. We wish the same for you and Garrett. Looking forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks.
Love,
Ruth
P.S. You should have received a couple of boxes from San Pedro yesterday. Another from Madison is on its way.
At the time that Gary and I were married, the pastor performing the ceremony told a story which at the time seemed odd to me. After 26 years of marriage, I have grown to fully appreciate the wisdom hidden in that story. As the story goes, there was a man who, in the interest of ensuring that his marriage would last, arose every morning, looked in the mirror and said to himself "You are not such great stuff yourself, you know". Sharing love means sharing at our best and at our worst. I cherish Gary's friendship. His kindness, support, honesty and faith have helped me through the most difficult of times. We have many wonderful memories of working, playing, parenting, and loving. Nevertheless, when I find mud on the carpet, dishes piled high, or an unfinished project, I remind myself to look in the mirror. I know that my own short-comings, at times, must frustrate Gary. We have both grown through marriage and continually try to accommodate each other's needs or desires. Gary has learned to make the bed in the morning and I sometimes take out the trash. We have formed a partnership which daily requires both give and take. The vows which we shared on our wedding day have stood the test of time.
We promised:
To love and cherish each other as unique individuals.
That our love would be patient, understanding, accepting, forgiving, filled with honesty and trust.
To support each other's growth and allow space for growth.
To challenge each other to better understand ourselves, the world around us and to use our gifts and talents to build God's kingdom.
To consider the other's physical, emotional and spiritual well being to be as important as our own.
As I was looking through our scrapbook, I found the attached note which you apparently wrote en route to our wedding. (Let me know if you cannot enlarge and read it and I will send it via email.) It was such a joy to have so many of our friends and family supporting our union. We wish the same for you and Garrett. Looking forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks.
Love,
Ruth
P.S. You should have received a couple of boxes from San Pedro yesterday. Another from Madison is on its way.
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