Anniversary

Well, I've managed to sleep through most of the day because being awake is just too hard today.  My first wedding anniversary without Gene is by far the hardest day yet.  I made it through his birthday, Easter and Mother's Day, but our love was bonded together as one on this day.  I remember our wedding and what a beautiful day it was filled with friends and sunshine.  We had a rather unconventional wedding.  We invited our friends and family over for a Memorial Day picnic and didn't tell them we were getting married.  At 4 o'clock the justice of the peace arrived and Gene and I went upstairs to change.  We walked out the back door, he in his suit, me in my dress, and told everyone we were going to have the wedding ceremony.  You never saw so much surprise in your life.  Everyone was so happy for us.  They knew how much in love we were and his first wife's brother welcomed me into the family with open arms.  It was the beginning of the most wonderful time of our lives.  Now, on this day, 21 years later, I'm alone without him, and the pain is unbearable.   My son called to see how I was doing and will probably stop after work tonight.  Today I'm thankful for such a wonderful, caring son, which I would never have had if it had not been for Gene. He was a gentle and loving father and taught our son how to be a man.