It was 40 years ago today that we exchanged our wedding vows at St Peter’s Anglican Church in Box Hill.
We were young, and perhaps naive, but optimistically looking out to the future together. The vicar warned us that because I had grown up as a Methodist and Jill as an Anglican, that ‘mixed marriages’ didn’t usually work. Neither of us understood this rather antiquated view and ultimately we have proved him very wrong.
Unlike today, when people travel overseas, we had a driving honeymoon to Port Macquarie and then moved in to our newly built house which cost the princely sum of $11,790 for both house and land . We wondered whether there was some message for us in the local drama group at Port Macquarie holding a play at the time titled ‘Let Sleeping Wives Lie’! Having spent all these years together creating a home, bringing up a family and now enjoying our grandchildren, we think that we are very blessed!
On the occasion of our 30th anniversary (Pearl Wedding), Jill wanted to go to Broome because it was the centre of Australia’s pearling industry. She came home with a couple of nice pearls and she wears them often. On this, our Ruby Wedding, we explored all the places in the world where rubies are found and decided that they all looked rather unattractive – especially Burma, Pakistan and Afghanistan. On this occasion, a trip to the local jewellery store was the best alternative. We are celebrating however, with a few days in Singapore.
From young twenty-something’s to now being retired people, we have had a wonderful life together! (And jill still looks just as beautiful as she does in our wedding photos).
What radiant expectation in your faces. Many of the dreams have come to fruition but I hope you both dream still for there is still much to explore in your lives together.
Congratulation on 40 years of marriage. Lots of people don’t stay together that long to celebrate. It takes commitment and lots of love.