Thursday, or Thereabouts - Sept. 5, 2013

Time flies!

1970

Thirty-eight years ago today I was enjoying the last day of my life as a single woman, or as read in the banns of marriage, "a spinster of this parish."  All of 22 years old and already a spinster. Imagine that! The old language would seem to have credited me with far more experience than I actually had. I was still living at home in 1975 and like my older sister before me and my younger after me, I went directly from my parents' home to married life without ever truly experiencing the world as a single woman.

I have never lived alone and had to fend for myself. Now this never bothered me back in the day. I was thrilled to be marrying my high school sweetheart, the love of my life. The wonderful world lay before us and we wanted to live it together. We still do, even though the world isn't quite as wholly wonderful as we thought way back then.

If I had to do it all over again, knowing what I know now of course,

September 6, 1975

I'd have taken some time on my own, just a couple of years to learn something about it all. On gloomy days, with both my love and I being now in our sixties, it worries me that the day may well come when I will have to go it alone, and I don't know the first thing about it.

It's best not to get too caught up in such solemn truths, yet it's also folly to deny them, so I'll just render these grim realities a brief nod of acknowledgement, then carry on through our days together.

Thirty-eight years ago my boyfriend and I went out on our last date as singles. The midnight curfew was still in effect but I scared the bejeezus out my folks by returning home at ten. The colour slowly drained from Mom's face and Dad walked toward me, arms outstretched,"Everything all right, dear?"

"Yup, everything is perfect."
And it still is.

Grow old along with me! 
The best is yet to be, 
The last of life, for which the first was made: 
Our times are in His hand 
Who saith "A whole I planned, 
Youth shows but half; trust God: see all, nor be afraid!''
Robert Browning

2011

2013