Our 25th Anniversary

A Couple of Kids

Today marks a grand occasion, at least for us. It is our 25th wedding anniversary. Twenty-five years ago today we had our wedding ceremony on a hot Saturday afternoon in July, and we have been having great times ever since then.

I do have to tell you that the above photo was not taken on our actual 25th anniversary, however. We chose to celebrate our silver anniversary with a trip to the island of Kaua’i, one of the islands of Hawai’i. It did not quite work out for us to be there on our actual anniversary, but we only missed it by a week. I was pretty sure at that point that we would make it to the actual anniversary. And we did, so it all turned out well.

As you might guess, we had a great time at Kaua’i. So much wonderful scenery there, so many great things to do. So many nice beaches to see. And at the time that we took the photo above, just off to our left (that would be your right), a photographer and a couple were taking some wedding photos as the sun was setting. So you know it was a good time and a good place for a photo, right? Maybe we should let them know that this is what they might look like in a quarter of a century.

A Couple of Dinosaurs

Shop keepers there on Kaua’i have a few questions they must ask everyone to help start conversations. Usually, it went something like this:

“Where are you from?”

“Memphis, Tennessee.”

“Wow! You are a long way from home!” 

“That’s what everyone says!”

Yes, we had that exact same conversation several times. It got to be a little funny. I was truthfully saying that everyone said that because everyone did in fact say that. I guess they don’t get that many people from Tennessee over there.

But the other question that was sometimes asked was what brought us to Kaua’i. To answer that, we would say that we were there to celebrate our 25th anniversary. One shop keeper on our last day replied, “Wow, you don’t see that very much any more. You guys are almost like dinosaurs! Congratulations!”

I don’t think he was saying that we were old like dinosaurs. That’s what I keep telling myself, anyway. He was just meaning that it doesn’t seem all that common for people to reach their 25th anniversary any more. I know he is right, but we have had several friends to reach theirs in the past few years, so I know we aren’t the only ones.

And it hasn’t always been fun and easy, either. Actually, it has been for most of the time. But I don’t want anyone to think that being married is all fun and games. It takes work and compromise. But if you are willing to put your spouse before yourself, then most of the time it actually is fun and easy. And you get to have a great time together, too.

So if you are just starting out in your marriage, 25 years may seem like a long time. But hang in there! You can do it! Teamwork, compromise, and humility are the keys! And it will be fun!

By the way, there will be lots (and lots) more from our Kaua’i trip coming up very soon! Stay tuned!

Bible Verse

Who can find a capable wife? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will not lack anything good. - Proverbs 31:10-11

About the Photo

As you can probably tell, this photo was taken with the fisheye lens at arm’s length. Someone else who was up there around the same time offered to take a photo of the two of us together, and he probably thought I was strange for telling him that I usually just hold the camera out and take it myself. But that’s our style, so it works for me.

We had gone to this point to take some sunset photos. It was a bit of a climb up to the rocks, made worse by our hiking adventure a day or two before (more about that later), but it was worth it. As was mentioned above, we did have to dodge the wedding photography party. But that was more because I did not want them in my fisheye photos than because of us being in their photos. 

While this might not be quite the same as a professional photographer photo, for me it is a fun reminder of a great trip!

Photo: A single Raw exposure, processed in Photoshop. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M10
Lens: Rokinon 7.5mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens
Date: July 7, 2018
Location: Shipwreck Beach, Poʻipū, Hawaiʻi