A Fairy Tale come true . . .

It could be the luck of the Irish, but I really believe it was through the guidance of God that John and I found each other. John was a handsome process engineer at Great Lakes Carbon in Morganton, NC, and I was a pretty cute (if I do say so myself) accounting clerk for the same company. We met at the Xerox machine. We talked about books and even traded a few. The first was "Papillion". (We still have that very paperback!) For some reason the engineer kept finding his way up to accounting. Eventually, John asked me out and I said "no". (I couldn't possibly go out with someone who had a hippie van!) My co-worker, Evelyn Dellinger who knew John and his family said "Now 'Little 'un' (I was quite petite in those days), you ought to go out with him." He asked again and I told him no once more. Evelyn said "Little 'un" you need to go out with John. He has a good education, a good job, and comes from a good family!" Well, wouldn't you know I turned him down a third time! A couple of weeks later when our department was going to have a cookout at a mountain cabin, my friend, Jerroll Smith, insisted that I ask John to go with me. I objected, but she prodded and prodded and tormented me until I finally called him. When I asked him if he would like to go, he said "I don't know. I'll call you back." Well, I nearly died! I had asked a man out and he brushed me off! How humiliating! Anyway, in just a few minutes he called back and said he would love to go with me! I found out much later that he called and canceled a date with his long-time girlfriend to go out with me! Heh heh heh! As the old saying goes, "the rest is history". Today we celebrate our 36th anniversary and remember the many blessings we have enjoyed all these years--not the least of which are the precious children we were given and now the precious grandchildren we adore. Our years together grow sweeter. Just when we think we love each other as much as possible, remarkably our hearts grow a little more room for a little more love. We aren't perfect, but we are perfect for each other. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for my good husband and a happy, eternal marriage.