AT 81 SHE MARRIED THE BOY NEXT DOOR

I've heard people say, "It's such a shame that youth is wasted on the young." Wouldn't we all love to have a 25 year old body along with the seasoned mind of a wise elder? That's what it will be like for all of us in heaven.

2 Cor 5:2  "We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing."

My parents came from the "greatest generation", the World War II generation. They were married for over 40 years before my Dad passed away. They never fell out of love. They weren't perfect; they had arguments, but they knew the secrets of a long term relationship.

1 Cor 13:7: "Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."

I learned more from the way my parents argued than from the way they made up. They always attacked the problem not each other.

Their other big secret : Laugh at yourself. When my Dad screwed something up, and my mom was annoyed he'd say "If I were you I wouldn't ask me to do that again." And they would both laugh.

When my Dad died my mom was lonely and lost. So who would ever imagine that she'd find a twilight romance right next door? One door over lived Ed, whose wife, Carol,had passed away also. It started with a shared ride to church and blossomed from there.

Now, married almost eight years, they are loving each other through health issues common in the elderly. Mom has trouble walking, so Ed can be her legs. Ed has mild dementia, so Mom reminds him to take his medicine. Every morning he says "Good morning Mrs. Britt, I love you." And she responds, "I love you, Mr. Britt." Like my Dad before him. Ed refers to Mom  as "his bride".

They both got it right in their first marriages, so they transferred that mutual mindset to this relationship. But the most important reason their marriage works is because there are really three of them: Ed, Inez, and The Lord.

1 John 4:12: “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."

The courage, humor, and tenacity with which these two face the challenges of aging is truly inspirational. Getting across the house with her walker is a marathon for Mom. She grimaces in pain, but doesn't complain. I want to dig through my closet and award her one of my old 26.2 medals.

 Ed just chuckled the other day when I sat on the TV remote and no one could figure out how to get the picture back. I was ready to pitch it across the room in frustration, but how could I with such an example of patience sitting before me?

In this era, where couples don't commit to marriage anymore and everyone is either buried in their phones or in a hurry to scurry somewhere else, there is much to be learned from their example.

I think that the Lord has honored both them for their life-long commitment to Him by blessing them with each other in this winter of their lives. 

The drifts are piled high outside, but the fire burns warmly inside.