Keep Dancing

We were privileged to attend a 50th wedding anniversary celebration this weekend. My husband had met this couple as he prepared for his ordination to the Diaconate. Our lives intertwined in tragedy as their daughter was brutally murdered at the same time our son was severely injured in an accident. I will never forget how touched I was by their prayers and concern for us as they mourned their daughter’s death. The husband has had serious health issues the last few years and it was beautiful to see them stand in church and renew their vows, especially the part about “in sickness and in health.” The celebration was a tribute to the faith, perseverance, patience and love of a couple. They were surrounded by family and friends they had cried with and laughed with. It is so important to celebrate the moment and my belief that we do somehow survive the worst and find joy was again reinforced. The deceased daughter was lovingly remembered, and two surviving daughters are fully living their lives. How wonderful that the celebration and tribute took place while both husband and wife are living. We sat with another couple who have been married 41 years – one more than our 40. She is a cancer survivor, a liver transplant survivor and receives dialysis treatment every other day. She was telling me how blessed she is and both were out on the dance floor. It was an evening of reflection and my conclusion is that we can and must keep on dancing.

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