50th Anniversary

These fine people are the Dunns. We went to Astoria, Oregon to celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary last week. On the drive down, Sasha says, "Wow. They are sure lucky to be married so long." Luck, huh?

I tried to explain to Sasha the same thing I try to explain to my married clients. 50 years of marriage is not due to luck or smooth sailing. 50 years of marriage is due to a willingness to suffer on behalf of another, a knowledge that no one can hurt you or bless you like your spouse, and a belief that your spouse and your spouse alone can uniquely shape you and redeem you as part of God's plan.

Well, okay, so that's not exactly what I said to Sasha. I told her that Leroy and Muriel have worked very hard for many years to have a good marriage. That when they fought, they loved each other enough to stick it out, that when bad things happened (they lost their only daughter) they turned to each other for comfort, and that they loved Jesus more than they loved themselves and so they followed his plans for marriage. She nodded wisely and went back to the "alphabet game" on the drive down.

Leroy was my school bus driver in elementray school and their oldest son, Dennis, was my 5th grade Sunday school teacher. Dennis brought Randi and I to church every week for what seemed like years (although we moved so often it couldn't have been more than 9 or 10 months.) When my mother remarried, the Dunns kept Randi and I for several weeks. I remember that time as one of the greatest vacations I ever had! Dennis drove us to his parents restaurant every morning, where Muriel would cook us anything we wanted for breakfast. She then made us each a lunch and let us choose a candy bar from by the cash register to add to it. Leroy then came by in the school bus and picked us up on his way to school. We thought we had died and gone to heaven!

This family is so instrumental in my faith experience. Dennis brought us to church each week and he used to bribe us to read our Bibles. In exchange for a certain number of chapters read, he would take us to the movies, roller skating, and one time all the way to Portland for ice skating! I remember spending lunch hour in the library reading a Bible so I could catch up on chapters. This is when I discovered the Psalms. . .

They lived out their faith for us little girls in such a simple way. They just loved us.

Over the years the Dunns have been more or less involved in our lives, depending on where we lived. But they were present at my wedding 15 years ago and my mother's funeral 3 years ago. To be able to join in the celebration of their anniversary was such an honor and a pleasure.

My kids now know them as Grandma and Grandpa Dunn. I love this. Their family was my spiritual home as a child and the influence of their love has touched my children's lives today.