Twenty-Five

“Love seems swiftest, but it is the slowest of growths. No man or woman really knows what perfect love is until they have been married a quarter of a century.”
-Mark Twain

Paul and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary last month.  Just writing that out makes me smile.  We've been married for exactly half of our lives.  It feels so comforting to know someone so well, to have traversed illness and health, joy and sorrow, struggles and ease, side by side with the same person who loves you even when sometimes they might not like you very much.

We spent quite a bit of time discussing how we might celebrate this milestone, and in the end decided that we would take a full week of vacation from work and spend each day doing some small, enjoyable activity together.  It was the first real, week-long vacation that we can remember taking in many, many years.  We rented bikes and went riding downtown, we walked in scenic parks and out on the pier of  Lake Michigan, we visited antique shops and my hometown of Manitowoc, and we loved every minute of it.  But the highlight of our anniversary week was when we traveled to Indiana for a short stay.

The morning of our anniversary I was as nervous as a new bride as we drove to meet our friend Bishop Don who said Mass for us and invited us to renew our vows. I was surprised to find that Paul was just as choked up and emotional as I was. Following a delicious Italian lunch we bid farewell to our friend and traveled to northern Indiana for an overnight stay at Serenity Springs, a resort with private cabins overlooking a small lake.  It was so peaceful and quiet.  The resort was definitely well named!  When we arrived we were taken by horse and carriage to our cabin.  I had to resist recreating a scene from my favorite movie, Barefoot in the Park.  I wanted to stand up and shout "We just got married!" but to Paul's relief, I refrained from embarrassing him.  We completed our vacation with a stop at Michigan City, an artistic little town with a sea glass jewelry store where I had my favorite piece of glass re-wired, and a nice hike in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.  I never wanted the anniversary week to end.

Serenity Springs horse and carriage ride

Serenity Springs

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore-half of the trail had been burned by the DNR

The burned forest-not exactly my kind of paradise; this sign made me laugh.

Now this looks a little more like a paradise valley.

And Lake Michigan must be pretty close to paradise!

A week later, we drove to Lake Villa, Illinois to bid farewell to our friends, The Handmaids of the Precious Blood, at a final Mass as they prepared to move to their motherhouse in Tennessee.  On that sunny afternoon we took the backroads instead of the freeway for the one hour trip and were treated to a delightfully scenic drive that included farms, horses, white fences and fresh spring flowers.  It felt like an anniversary vacation all over again!

That night I dreamed that Paul and I were in heaven, and the heaven of my dreams looked very similar to that drive to Illinois, only we were walking together instead of driving.  I do hope and pray that after at least twenty-five more years of wedded happiness, when the time arrives for Paul and I to leave this earthly life, we will truly be walking hand in hand together through paradise.

Forty Years of Love

The sky was as blue as can be without a single cloud, the air was warm and pleasant, filled with the fragrance of flowers; birds were singing, children were playing, and lawnmowers were buzzing. It was a perfect summer day, made even more perfect by the beautiful backyard celebration that occurred in the midst of the typical summer activities.

Diann and Gary, my sister and brother-in-law, celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on June 5th, which also happened to have been my deceased parent's wedding anniversary. To celebrate this beautiful event, my niece Jenny, their daughter, invited our entire large family of nine siblings and all of the children and grandchildren to attend a Mass and party in her backyard. Everyone brought flowers and the scenic backyard surrounded by a picket fence under the shade of a large oak tree was simply idyllic. It was a joyous event that brought all of my siblings together for the first time in five years!

The Mass was celebrated by our beloved friend, Fr. Jim Kubicki, SJ, the national director of the Apostleship of Prayer. Fr. Jim spoke of the gift of marriage as an image of God's love for each of us. He said there are times when the love that spouses share for one another is physical, but more often, that love is something that is felt and known deep in the heart, so that no matter whether or not a husband and wife are physically present with each other or are far apart, the bond of love is never distant, it remains deep within, just as Jesus remains deep within our hearts and souls through the gift of Eucharist. After the Ascension of His physical body, Jesus disappeared into the heavens yet He remains forever united with us, each and every one of us, always present within.

Fr. Jim also brought a beautiful prayer for Diann and Gary to pray together and shared copies with everyone else present...

Prayer of Spouses for Each Other

Lord Jesus, grant that I and my spouse may have a true and understanding love for each other. Grant that we may both be filled with faith and trust. Give us the grace to live with each other in peace and harmony. May we always bear with one another's weaknesses and grow from each other's strengths. Help us to forgive one another's failings and grant us patience, kindness, cheerfulness and the spirit of placing the well-being of one another ahead of self. May the love that brought us together grow and mature with each passing year. Bring us ever closer to You through our love for each other. Let our love grow to perfection. Amen.

Book of Blessings

When Paul and I stood with our children before Fr. Dennis Witz asking him to bless us on our twentieth anniversary, he opened the Book of Blessings and spoke these beautiful words:

Lord, increase and consecrate the love which Paul and Anne have for one another. The wedding rings they once exchanged are the sign of their fidelity. May they continue to prosper in the grace of the sacrament.

In the tender plan of his providence, God our almighty Father has given married love, its faithfulness, and its fruitfulness, a special significance in the history of salvation. Let us therefore call upon him, saying:

Father all-holy, the faithful one, you ask for and respond to fidelity to your covenant; fill with your blessings your servants who are celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary.

You live in eternity with the Son and the Holy Spirit in oneness of life and communion of love; grant that these your servants will be mindful of the covenant of love they pledged to each other through the sacrament of marriage and never fail in fidelity.

In your providence you have ordained that all genuinely human experiences should become ways of leading the faithful to share in the mystery of Christ; grant to your servants serenity in good times and bad and the will to stay close to Christ and to live for him alone.

It is your will that married life should be a lesson in Christian living; grant that all husbands and wives may be witnesses to the wonders of your Son's love.

O God, the life of the family is founded on the plan of your own providence. In your mercy receive the prayers of your servants. Grant that by imitating the Holy Family they may reach the joys of your home and together praise you for ever.

Lord God and Creator, we bless and praise your name. In the beginning you made man and woman, so that they might enter a communion of life and love. You likewise blessed the union of Paul with Anne so that they might reflect the union of Christ with his Church: look with kindness on them today. Amid the joys and struggles of their life you have preserved the union between them; renew their marriage covenant, increase your love in them, and strengthen their bond of peace, so that surrounded by their children they may always rejoice in the gift of your blessing. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

And we are abundantly blessed.

Two and Twenty

On April 28th I will be celebrating two years since my fingers began dancing across the keyboard releasing my inner Jeremiah; my heart and soul on fire for Christ. I began with this post about my experience at St. Francis de Sales Seminary's Open House followed by time spent serving food at the St. Vincent de Paul meal program for the poor.

But this week also marks a far more important milestone--April 27th is the twentieth anniversary of the day that my entire being began its dance of heart and soul devoted to my spouse. This is the week of anniversaries, the week for celebration, the week to dance!

To mark this very special occasion, Fr. Dennis, the associate pastor at St. Matthias, will be blessing Paul and I discreetly after Mass as we don't care to be the center of attention, and then we will live as if we were in France-dinner at a quaint French Cafe followed by the French movie "Of Gods and Men" which I have been wanting to see for the longest time and am so grateful to be able to finally squeak it in during its final week in Milwaukee.

But I want to celebrate with you as well, my faithful readers, so, although I personally am a wall-flower who prefers to let others do the dancing while I sit and watch, I thought that the following repost would be a very fitting way to celebrate the occasion, as in my heart I am always dancing with God, my husband, and with you, my dear friends and followers!

Dancing Shoes

If I were to wear my dancing shoes,
would you dance with me?








Will your footsteps lead me
in the way I should go?

Will you hold my hand firmly
assuring me of your friendship?

Will you look into my eyes
instilling a sense of confidence into my soul?

Will you place your hand gently upon my back
to strengthen me when I’m feeling weak?

Will you let me spin when the tempo quickens
and I’m feeling joyful?

And when the music ends,
will you slowly release me
as I continue the dance in my heart,
while stepping into the dance of eternity?

If I were to wear my dancing shoes,
would you dance with me?