To have and to hold
from this day forward
for better or for worse,
for richer or for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
to love and to cherish
until death do us part.
~Author Unknown

He was a he, a man seven years older than she, and she was a she, an ingénue about to complete her final year in college. And 53 years ago today, the he and the she became a we. Having met in January and becoming engaged in May James and I were married on August 17th, l963 by his college roommate, best friend, and ordained minister, Ron Engle. Since that day James and I have traversed side by side the valleys of better or worse, richer or poorer, sickness or health and struggled through times good and bad. But thankfully, as of yet, nothing has put asunder what God joined together so very long ago.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.” ~Matthew 22:2  ✝