THE EGG AND I DON’T MAKE AN OMLET

The ongoing saga of a farm couple.

I use to love to watch Green Acres, (inspired by the movie, THE EGG AND I), when I was in high school.  Little did I know that in a few short years I would become Lisa Douglas, (Ava Gabor) as on the show!  Born and raised in Dyer, we did live by the park and had a lot of room to roam and play growing up, but never spent much time on a farm.  Well that was all about to change!  Graduated from high school at 17 and knew everything there was to know in the world, so why not get on with life? Was madly in love with my high school sweetheart and he returned my affections.  So, let life begin!  Well, needless to say our parents had a different opinion.  They thought we were wet behind the ears and we were making the biggest mistake of our lives.  We needed someone on our side so we went to see my preacher.  I was so relieved when he said Jim would make a great husband, but my bubble was popped when he said we should wait.  Well, knowing everything in the world, no one could talk us out of getting married.

What they weren’t saying is marriage is hard! You are two different people who have only shown each other your best sides, and all your faults you have carefully concealed. My husband (as many did back in the 60’s) believed that a woman should stay at home, while the man went to work and provided for his family. So we married on Columbus Day; October 12, 1968, and he went to work and I stayed home.  It was a little bitty one bedroom, (they made the closet the bathroom) cottage.  I read, watched TV, learned to crochet and by December was going stark raving mad! We lived out in the country and I didn’t have a car. So the simple solution is give me something to do, have a baby! Now I had something to occupy my time, losing every meal I ate. (Did I mention this cottage had sulfur water?)

Jump ahead two years and we are now living in a condemned house way out in the country, (again our parents thought we had gone mad), six miles from a little one horse town.  Where am I going with all this? We struggled with finances, learned how to be parents, (the hard way) and grew up together.  Was it easy? NO!!!  How did we manage to get through everything?  Read the 13 chapter of I Corinthians, to understand what love is.  We were both raised to honor commitments and vows.  We made a vow to each other, and before God, to love each other until death.  We have kept God in our home, and we have loved, liked, and have greatly annoyed each other, but would never let go of the love of our youth. Some things strained our relationship, other things, (like the death of our son) brought us closer together.  The key is never give up! Learn to communicate, really communicate.  Hear what each other is saying. Remember, two ears one mouth! I know we live in a throwaway society, but marriage shouldn’t be considered as something that can be discarded. And remember, no one is perfect, and you are just trading one set of problems for another when you throw away one marriage for another.

As parents we need to teach our children that commitments are something to take seriously.  Teach them to keep their word in small things and then keeping their word in large thing will come naturally.  Help them understand we know how to love because, God first loved us!

We as writers write love stories all the time.  Whether we draw on our own experiences or what we wish things would be like, we should always honor the commitment of marriage in our writings.

All that to say; HAPPY ANNIVERSARY HONEY, HERE IS TO 49 MORE YEARS!

But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.

 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;

And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.

 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Mark 10:6-9

And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.

Malachi 2:15

Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

Proverbs 5:18