50 Years of Marriage

My in-laws celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on July 19. A special blessing was said at the Sat. afternoon mass for them, then we had a reception afterwards at the church hall. It is always a lot of work planning parties, but I enjoy it. Everyone really came together to make it a special night. It was all the more meaningful celebrating such an important milestone with two wonderful people. They knew we were having a party, but I don't think they realized how big it was going to be. I have admitted before, I am high maintenance and like to have things a certain way. It really paid off this time. The room looked so beautiful! It truly was like a wedding reception and most importantly Kathy and Jerry were the center of attention all day. We displayed pictures and photo albums for people to see when they came into the hall. There was also a special anniversary plate for people to sign. We had a table with lots of cookies and goodies to dip into a chocolate fountain. Duane's brother Brian announced the happy couple and they came in to a big round of applause from 120 plus friends and family. Father Cebula said a special blessing then Duane gave a beautiful speech before dinner. He mentioned how whenever he told anyone that his parents were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary, they would say, "Wow! That is something to be proud of!" He talked about how in that 50 years they went through challenging times and wonderful times. But through all those times they did it together and what an example that is to us. After dinner we showed a slide show that Duane put together. We took so much time picking out all the pictures and just the right music. It was so fun looking through so many great pictures. There were lots of tears as we all watched. This was my favorite part of the evening. I stood at the back of the room and watched every one's reactions. The lights were turned down, but their were candles burning all around the room. Duane sat in between his parents and watched with them. They were just like newly weds when they cut the cake. As with any family event there were circumstances beyond my control. But all in all it was a great night that we won't soon forget. The most significant thing for me was that I was reminded what a wonderful family I am blessed to be a part of. They have been a part of my life since I was 15 years old. I felt such a sense of belonging that night that I really needed. I realized that this is a gift that I am going to embrace even more.