Most of our lives

This afternoon, with no prompting or agenda, Bern came from the back porch into the kitchen, where I was fixing dinner, and said, "I'm glad I've spent most of my life with you."

I embraced her and, choking back tears, whispered, "Me too. Me too."

She was 14 and I was 17 when we met. That means we've known each other for most of our lives--53 years, to be exact. On September 5, at Long Beach, North Carolina, we will celebrate our 48th wedding anniversary.

That qualifies as 'most of our lives' and more.

Much more.

There's no gift in heaven or on earth that would be more precious to me than that simple ten word sentence she spoke to me this late afternoon.