Reece Gardner: Cherish the one you love

I want to share with you some additional accounts  of my 58 wonderful years of  marriage to My Emma, which I hope will encourage you to more fully appreciate that very special person in your life.  My favorite songs are "heart" songs, and I often use the wisdom from those songs to help me my message of love across. 

I remember one occasion when, shortly after our marriage, I said something that caused Emma to cry. It was a hurtful moment and I immediately sang these words to her:  "We always hurt the ones we love, the ones we shouldn't hurt at all.  We always take the sweetest rose and crush it till the petals fall.  We always break the kindest heart, with a hasty word we can't recall;  And if I broke your heart tonight, it is because I love you most of all."

My Emma immediately forgave me, put her loving arms around me, and made our world right again.  There are so many songs that express my love for her, such as this one from Ray Price;  "Did you ever know that you're my hero, and everything I would like to be;  I can fly higher than an eagle, because you're the wind beneath my wings.  You are the wind beneath my wings." 

Throughout our marriage, Emma always gave unconditional love to me, to our children, Jessica, Reece, and Jason, then to their spouses, Bob, Lisa, and Christie, and to our five grandchildren. It was always about LOVE!  I will always remember that when she was pregnant with our third child, Jason, she was having some serious problems with the pregnancy, and our doctor suggested that she might not survive and perhaps we should consider aborting the baby.  Emma's response was immediate and direct. She said, "All I am praying for is that I be able to deliver a strong and healthy baby. Everything else will take care of itself."  Right after Jason came into the world, the doctor said to Emma, "You have given birth to a strong and healthy baby!"

My love for Emma is expressed beautifully in this song:  "Have I told you lately that I love you; Could I tell you once again somehow; Have I told with all my heart and soul how I adore you; Well, Darling I'm telling you now.  This world would end today if I should lose you; I'm no good without you anyhow; Have I told you lately that I love you; Well, Darling, I'm telling you now." 

I will now close with this experience, which I am now sharing for the first time.  On November 5, 2018, our 58th wedding anniversary, Emma and I sat quietly in our home reminiscing about our wonderful life together.  Emma was not feeling well and in fact, as it turned out, had only 33 days left on this earth before ascending into Heaven.  I will always treasure the memory of that occasion as we held hands and together sang this beautiful Vince Gil song:  "Look at us, after all these years together; Look at us, after all that we've been through.  Look at us, still believing in forever, if they want to see how true love should be, they'll just look at us.  Look at you,  still pretty as a picture, look at me, still crazy over you.  Look at us, still leaning on each other;  If they want to see how true love should be, they'll just look at us."

THANK YOU, Honey, for honoring me with you love. I will love and cherish you with ALL MY HEART, ALWAYS!!