:. four decades .:

Forty years.
One apartment. Four houses. Three cities. Two states.
Two daughters. Two weddings. Two sons. Seven grandchildren.
Laughter, joy, and fun by the bucketfuls.
Tears, sadness, and heartache measured in handfuls.

Forty years.
Memories swirl. My heart is full.
Past joys carefully, lovingly tucked away: there will come a time to immerse myself in them.
For now, reality demands a certain 'distance'.
Otherwise my heart would shatter and I could not go on.

Forty years.
Grieving what we've lost, trying hard to appreciate who we are now.
Thankful for the companionship that comes from a lifetime together.
Incomplete thoughts and great confusion aside, we can still make each other laugh.
Sometimes.

Forty years.

Happy Anniversary, Benny.