When you renew your marriage vows for your 25th anniversary it's like saying, "I would do this with you all over again, - for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health." Then off you embark on your next 25 years (God willing) and holding hands, you dance into the future.
Renewing your vows for your 50th must feel a bit different. You won't be doing it all over again, for one thing. Holding hands, you would dance off into the future knowing that every year from here on out is a gift. Granted, it's a gift no matter what your age. However, when you can look back on more years than you can look ahead to, I'd have to believe that time together becomes more precious.
Which brings me to Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. No matter what else Paul has done to show us what a life well lived looks like, staying married to Joanne for 50 years is at the top of his accomplishments that I admire. I even got a little teary and shared about it here.
What have I learned from getting to where I am? Cherish those you love. Time is fleeting. Eternity is real but today is a gift to be lived well. Our lives are somewhat like leaves - when the production of chlorophyll in a leaf declines you can see its true colors. When the number of years we have yet to sojourn on this planet declines, our true colors are seen, too.
Let me leave you with this: love is the most important thing we have to share. Love. A life lived for love - of a beloved, of family, of friends, of animals, of the helpless, of those in need, of those who share our dreams, of our planet - that life is beautiful.
