A Real Love Story

Seventy-one years ago on this day, my grandparents, Johnnie and Irene Wilson, were married.  They, with another couple, drove to a preacher's house and were married.  There was no wedding dress, floral bouquets, bridesmaids with nice dresses or groomsmen in tuxes.  There was one preacher, one couple as witnesses, and a bride and groom who loved each other deeply.  They wanted a marriage- not a fancy wedding.  It was about building a life together- not about building a house the Jones would be jealous of.  That evening they drove to New Mexico in a truck with my grandfather's father and dropped him off with some family before taking a few days to start their married life in Cloudcroft, NM.  Glamorous, huh? 

Irene Wilson on her wedding day.

Well, it may not have been glamorous, but it lasted- it lasted 53 years to be exact when my grandfather passed away from brain cancer.  They weathered many storms that destroyed crops and dreams, but this farmer and his wife stayed together and their love grew.  He was eleven years older than her and had already watched his first fiance pass away from illness years before they met.  When he first saw my grandmother at a revival meeting, he told his buddy, "I am going to marry that girl."   It took them ten years to finally be able to conceive and have one child- a daughter- my mother.  The labor was long and difficult and they never tried again for more children as the prospect was too dangerous for my grandmother. 

My grandfather, Johnnie Wilson, with my mother.

They were as different as oil and vinegar, but their love and friendship was sweeter than honey.  I learned many things from their marriage....

Almost anything can be fixed from duct tape and bailing wire.  My grandparents were products of the great depression and money was tight.  They could not afford to replace things when they broke down.  Instead, they learned and taught themselves how to fix it.  The same was true of their marriage- they fixed it.  Despite cracks from financial woes, infertility, taking care of their parents and such, they applied love, forgiveness, time and healing to fix the cracks.  It stuck and they grew deeper in love with each other as a result.

Hard work is something to be admired.  They had little financially for many years.  When my mother was in high school, they finally built their dream house which was a two bedroom, one bath home with maybe 1,000 square feet.  While that may hardly seem like a dream house to you, it was the best home they had ever lived in.  As a result, my grandparents worked hard to keep it in excellent shape- it was always perfectly mowed on the outside and spotless on the inside.  I remember watching my grandmother cleaning the grout in the tiles of her kitchen floor on her hands and knees using a butter knife.  Marriage, too, takes hard work.  Each marriage may look different from another and it may not be dreamy and perfect, but with hard work it can be something to be admired.

Laughter heals so much.  My grandparents loved to laugh and would tease each other often.  Their joy was full and complete and laughter was an outpouring of that.  My grandfather would laugh until tears would just stream down his cheeks.  My grandmother's smile would make her eyes sparkle with a glint of sheer happiness.

Friendship is important.  I witnessed my grandparents extending friendship and kindness to countless others in their life.  They would give of themselves tirelessly to build and keep friendships strong whether it meant taking meals to someone in need, mowing a neighbor's yard or sharing their home and food with someone.  The same was true of their marriage- they were each other's best friend.  Whether tending the garden, listening to the Texas Rangers on the radio, or going to town to do their laundry and grocery shopping, they did it together. They worked at their friendship.

God is key to everything.  No matter what was going on in their life, they saw God reflected in it.  He was the center of all things in their home and honored at their table, in their speech, and in their actions.  God was the center of their marriage as well.  They knew that they could only love each other as much as they loved and committed themselves to the Father.

I miss them both terribly, but I rejoice in knowing that I will see them again in heaven.  I long to know what they think of the marriage Reagan and I are working so hard to build- would they see reflections of their own marriage in ours?  I hope so!  All the things seen in their marriage is what we are trying to build in ours- forgiveness, friendship, love, hard work, laughter and ultimately God's grace.  It's about building a family legacy- honest and real- and beautiful despite imperfections.  A marriage that may not be glamorous, but lasts... and that is something that is very valuable indeed.