Friday, April 2, 2010

Happily Ever After: 65 Years and Counting

I'm going to interrupt our guest authors today, because this is a momentous day in the Andrews family and I'm going to take the opportunity to publicly gush. (Don't worry - there's still a prize!)

Sixty-five years ago today, while on a thirty-day leave from his duties as a flyboy in the war effort, Army Air Force Lieutenant Robert James Andrews married his sweetheart Joan Shumaker on the day before her eighteenth birthday. He was sick that day and there weren't many men at the wedding with so many overseas, but judging by their smiles you would never know it was anything other than a perfect happily ever after.

My grandmother tells the story of how they squeezed into a single berth together on the train to Chicago on their wedding night as she tagged along with him on his next assignment - a good will tour of US bases. The war wouldn't last much longer, but their marriage would.

Sixty-five years. The number is mind-boggling. And they are still happy together. He still teases her and she still blushes. Two children, three grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and sixty-five years... and she is still his sweetheart.

I've learned a lot about happily ever afters from the examples in my family. I know I'm lucky to have them in my life.



So here's to Joan & Bob, always. Happy Sixty-Fifth Anniversary, Grandma & Grandpa!



And in honor of love and laughter that lasts a lifetime, I'm giving away a signed print copy of the Tickle My Fantasy anthology to one lucky commenter today. Tell me about the real life happily ever afters in your life, or just join me in wishing my grandparents the best of all possible days. (Yes, they have been known to read my blog.)

13 comments:

Rebekah's Studio said...

HAPPILY — Darling Husband and I made 25 years in 2009, the same year our first grandchild was born. What a beauty! We call her Miss Marvelous. To celebrate our anniversary six months after she showed up, we cruised romantically down the Danube on a riverboat as the winter season's first snows fell, warming ourselves with gluhwein at the Christmas faires from one olde town to the next. It seems like a dream now — now that we're babysitting! Good timing, eh? Well, there're still other worlds away and EVER AFTER to share them together. Would you agree? Happy Anniversary Joan & Bob!

Nancy G said...

Happily ever after is rare, and I haven't had mine (yet) so I'm hare to wish Joan & Bob the best day ever and say I hope they enjoy every day together. That is quite an accomplishment.

KELLY FITZPATRICK said...

Inspiring! True love is a beautiful thing.

Sweet Vernal Zephyr said...

Best Wishes on your Happily Ever After Joan & Bob!

My happily ever story is my own: Tux (husband) and I fell in love my senior year. My mother pronounced it "puppy love" and sent me states away to college while Tux built us a home. Amidst much opposition we married 3 years later and our love has only grown.

Miranda ~ Sweet Vernal Zephyr
mdwartistry at yahoo dot com

Vivant said...

I love a good romance novel that ends with the beginning of a happily ever after.

But there is nothing more touching or inspiring than looking back on a real life romance where the happily ever after has gone on and on and on. It's the embodiment of the romance dream -- what could be sweeter?

Happy anniversary 65 times over, Joan and Bob!

elaing8 said...

Happy Sixty-Fifth Anniversary Joan & Bob.

Laurann Dohner said...

What a wonderful romance that has lasted sixty-five years! Congrats Joan and Bob! Truly inspiring!!!

I have been with my husband for 20 wonderful years. I love him more each year that passes and I can only pray that we have forty-five more! You give me hope that it's possible.

Unknown said...

Oh I love real life Happily Ever Afters! My grandparents also lived a HEA life and I feel blessed to have been able to learn from them.

Congratulations Mr and Mrs Andrews and may your love continue to grow every day!

Booksrforever123 said...

Congratulations folks. I will be celebrating number 14 this year. 65 seems like such a long time away, I wonder if I'll ever make it there, but then I will be 93 then too. hehe

Sharon K said...

65 years, that is so awesome! To be with the love of your life for that many years! Wow!!! My happily ever after, my marrige. This is both of our second time around. I knew he was the one the first time I saw him do the cha cha, he was hot! We were married 4 months later & we just celebrated our 33 anniversary. And he's still hot!!!

Elisa Beatty said...

Happy anniversary to them! They look so in love!

Karin said...

Aw. What an awesome happily-ever-after story, Vivi! Your grandparents look so happy together. Congratulations to them!

My parents are a happily-ever-after story as well. They met the year after my mom's family moved to Colorado and were married the next year, a week after my dad turned 19. My dad knows down to the hour how long they knew each other before they got married and will happily tell anyone should they ask. They're still very happy together and are really cute. Last weekend, while at my cousin's housewarming party, I even snapped a picture of my mom sitting on my dad's lap. They have four kids and six grandchildren and will be celebrating their 35th anniversary this July.

Vivi Andrews said...

Thanks again to everyone who helped make my grandparents' day special!