Love Endures

(click to enlarge)

The old, dried up bouquet of red roses belonged to my daughter, last used when I walked her down the isle over 13 years ago.  I really don't know why I kept her flowers but I hung them upside down over my workbench in my garage.  As the days and years passed, I watched them dry, fade and if touched even the slightest bit, the petals would flake off.  When we moved in December, I had to decide whether or not to dispose of them.  I kept them as I now had an idea of what I wanted to do with them.

The aged, but certainly still vibrant hands belong to my 97 year old mother-in-law.  She is one of the most remarkable women I've ever met and I love her as much if not more than my own mother.  She has always treated me as one of her own.  Despite breaking both her hips three times over a period of 18 months a few years ago, she is very much alive, engaged, vibrant, alert, and physically active as possible.  Within 6 months of her injury, she was out dancing with her young, 80-something friends!  Other than some blood thinner for a tendency to have some clots in her legs, she takes no medicine.  In fact, I've never seen her sick in the 47 years I've known her and my wife can't remember her being sick her entire life.  I hope my mind and body is in as good shape at 77 as hers is at 97.

So, I join the two for this image.  The roses have died, aged and dried but the woman still carries on with vigor.  A nice contrast.  Before I discard the bouquet, I will make some close up and macro images of them.  I'll post them in the near future.

I almost never write things about my personal life in this blog but today is my wife's and my 46th wedding anniversary.  I can't say enough good things about my wife, what she has brought to our lives and how much I love her.  I've told many people that I hope I die before she does as I don't know what I would do without her.  She is my best friend, life partner, love of my life, biggest cheerleader, caretaker, critic, mother to our two wonderful children and an all around one of the best people on this planet.  Her heart is unmatched.  Without her, I wouldn't have achieved the success in life that I was so blessed to have achieved.  Life and relationships are not always easy but, as different as the two of us are in so many ways, for some reason God put us together.  Thank you Kathy for all that you do, have done and have meant to me all of these years.  I look forward to many more happy years together enjoying the fruits of our labors.  Now...if we can only get the new house construction completed so we can move in?

Join me over at my website, https://www.dennismook.com.  

Thanks for looking. Enjoy!  

Dennis A. Mook  

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