This year Tommy and I celebrate 25 years of marriage. We’ve been together probably close to over 30 years but married when we were 25 years old. I had graduated nursing school the year before. We had a long engagement because Tommy had proposed when I was in nursing school and he promised my father we would wait until I graduated. Yes, he asked my dad for his blessing. Sweet. My father gave his blessing and also told Tommy, “No returns”. Love my dad.
So I wasn’t returned to my Dad and I’m blessed to have spent the last 25 years with this man. We met at 15 but didn’t begin dating until we were 17ish. We were friends between the time we met and the time we were a couple. We went to concerts with a great group of friends, went to the movies, the beach, that crazy water park in NJ called Action Park. We also went to a lot of parties. We had a really great group of friends that we hung out with and did things with. It was a really fun time.
I remember laying on the beach in Maui with Tommy when we were on our honeymoon. We were saying how we wanted to return to Hawaii, “maybe for our 20th anniversary,” we said. Never knowing how fast 20 years would go by. For our 25th we wanted to go away someplace special and we even contemplated Hawaii, but it’s so far and the jet lag is a bitch. So we discussed Aruba, the Grand Canyon, I cant remember where else. But… the world had other plans.
We had an incredible celebration last week with our girls and Alyssa’s fiancée Sam. Lobster tails and steak for dinner, great wine and chocolate mousse cheesecake. We reminisced about Hawaii, it’s funny the things you never forget. We started our honeymoon on Maui which was incredible. Then we traveled to the “big island” where we booked at this seemingly empty, huge beautiful hotel where we were promptly approached to buy drugs. We were appalled I mean we could get that at home! So we hightailed it out of there to some bargain motel and called the resort in Maui begging the concierge for a room to finish out our honeymoon there. We were so lucky; They had a room! We booked the flight back to Maui and got off the big island quickly. It was an adventure but we had such a great time.
So 25 years later and here we are. I still love this guy and he loves me. It’s really cool that we are together as long as we are after all the trials and seasons that have passed. I can’t imagine myself with anyone else. I mean Tommy really gets me. And we laugh together. He can make me laugh as much now as he did when we were teens. He’s very quick witted and comes up with good ones no matter what the situation, even when it’s not supposed to be funny, but you gotta laugh.
Here’s to the next 25!
Menay O; mom to 4, Christian and thrift shopper on the side... 