Still Loving, After All These Years

Friday, October 12 is my parent's 45th wedding anniversary. Wow. James and Peggy Decanter, who started out as teen-agers with $3.00 in their pocket and nothing else, have been married 45 years. What an accomplishment. I've been married 14 years and think that is something to be proud of. But 45 years....I can't even begin to imagine it.

She was 17, and had only been 17 for a month when they got married. He was 19. They didn't have jobs. They didn't have a place to live. They had no money. She was a senior in high school. They had absolutely nothing, nothing but love. Over the years that nothing has turned into something. They've made a success of themselves in every way, but the best thing about them is that they still have that powerful love, that love that conquers everything, even no home and no money and no job.

I have no doubt that if they lost everything but each other, they would still survive, because if they had nothing but each other, they would still have everything. They would still have love. After 45 years, they still cuddle and hug and kiss and hold hands. She still says "Wow!" when she sees him in the morning. He still makes sure everyone knows she is the queen of his castle.

They raised us, their daughters, to love, honor, and respect them. We didn't backtalk our Mother, because our Father simply did not allow it. We didn't talk disrepectfully about our Dad even when he wasn't around, because our Mom simply would not tolerate it. Even if she privately didn't agree with him, she stood by him in our presence. They were a united front. There was no "divide and conquer" in our household, because they could not, would not, be divided. They were a team.

Forty-five years later, they still are.