This week-end, my son will be getting married. It has taken him a long time to make up his mind to even get married, let alone who to marry. But love found its way into his heart through a young lady has known for many years. They "bumped" into each other over a year ago and decided to start hanging out. Then things got serious. Love blumed and they are now ready to tie the knot.

I cannot help to think back on those naive days in my own life when I met and started to get to know the beautiful young lady I have been calling my wife for over 41 years. We had so much fun getting to know one another and became friends before we started really getting serious. Then the day came when I asked her to bemy wife while standing on the front porch of the dormitory where she was staying on the campus of Arkansas State University. And when she said "yes," she really meant it.

It is very interesting to me that Beverly and I are products of the free-love era of the 1960's, yet we both had "old fashioned" mores and morals that have sustained us through 41 years of marriage. We wanted the freedom of youth, but we were also guided by the strong Christian principles ingrained in us by our parents.

Many years ago, I heard a joke that went like this. A couple married 50 years stood in front of a judge asking for a divorce. When pressed as to why they were separating after so many years, the couple replied, "'Enough is enough!" I have to say that I just don't think I will ever get enough of life with Beverly Sennett. I not only love her, I like her, I trust her, and I truly appreciate her. She is the center of my world, and I'm happy my life is like that.

I was recently asked by one of my students at Palm Beach Community College, "How did you do it?" I had to think a moment then replied, "I guess I just decided that I like my wifes positives more than I dislike her negatives and never looked back." Believe me, I do not work at staying married, I simply try to be the best "me" I can be and then get the most out of everyday that God gives me.

A long marriage begins with two people who are already happy being themselves. Then they simply stay together--no matter what. It's really not that hard.

 
 

On December 11, my wife and I celebrated 41 years of marriage. Forty-one years!  Wow! Where did the time go? With all we've been through, I stand in awe that this wonderful woman has stayed with me through all those years. Who would have thought? And yet, here we are.

I am amazed that we are still married given the fact that we are both children of the sixties. We had long hair and wore outrageous clothes. We marched and protested, yet we some how believed in our country. I served in Vietnam war (1969-70), and she stood by me and supported me while I was overseas. We had our difficulties and I made some serious mistakes. Yet we stood by each other through it all. Even though we are part of the "me" generation, we found a real satisfaction in also being "we" oriented.

We have two marvelous children. Our daughter recently completed her B.A. degree with honors--and this at Rollins College! She hopes to start law school in August.

Our son has started his own business and seems to be doing fine. He's even found a wonderful woman who has agreed to marry him in May.

I have had a wonderful career teaching in college. And despite my musings about making movies after retirement, my bride has supported me in that effort. Her response was simple: "As long as it doesn't cost us any money, you just do anything you want." Actually, that's a ringing endorsement.

I know how much she wants to travel when she retires. So, I'll make sure that her plans are successful as I attempt to be the nation's greatest screenwriter during the 2010's and 20's. Hopefully, I can make enough money to support her wanderlust.

Forty years is a long time. Yet, somehow, it has seemed so brief.  Only yesterday, we were in college enjoying fraternity and sorority parties, going to the drive-in to "watch" a movie, freezing in the stadium at football games, and staying up late trying to make the homecoming floats look perfect. Then we took a deep breath and -- oops, it's forty years later.

I have had a great life to this point. And my wife has been the single most important part of that life. Now we stand on the edge of a great future together making plans for our fiftieth anniversary. I hope to take her back to Hawaii where we spent our real honeymoon (on our second anniversary).

So, stay tuned for more exciting things to come!