In 1975, a beautiful but emotionally fragile Cajun girl became enamored with a cocky, self absorbed, long-haired college freshman, who didn't know near as much as he thought he did. Even though it took him 3 dates to remember her last name, she found redeeming qualities in the scoundrel, and kept flashing those come-hither green eyes at him for several months until he finally came to the conclusion that maybe this hard-working, persistent, quiet blonde beauty was the perfect match for him.
So at the wise age of 19, the Cajun beauty and the college hippy tied the knot in a very small and unpretentious church gathering of family. The Cajun beauty decided that the college life was not for her, and went to work to pay the bills, which was just fine with the hippy. He decided that he would stay in college as long as he could get away with it.
While the carefree days of rock concerts, water skiing, and hard partying were cherished, all good things come to an end, and the hippie eventually became a yuppie while receiving 3 college degrees and developing a taste for the material aspects of life. His first job after college was as a $400 hammer for the defense department, which kind of skewed his perception of reality concerning work and a paycheck. Meanwhile, the Cajun beauty just continued to work her way up the business world ladder, from secretary to computer operator to computer programmer to system analyst, and finally into information systems management.
The yuppie life continued through the couple's 10 year anniversary, with expensive travels and the purchase of the dream home. But then age 30 rolled around and all of a sudden they realized that there was more to life and that some kids were needed to turn the big house into a true home. So the lifestyles changed, the nesting began, and after a lot of hard work and diligence in the reproduction process, baby made three !!! It was quite an enlightenment to the Dad to learn that his Cajun's true beauty would be so much greater with a new born baby in her arms.
So the couple morphed into the standard two-wage-earner family with 2 kids, but there was a hard and fast rule for no mini-vans. Day care and 24 hour coordinated schedules became a way of life by the time the 20th anniversary rolled around. Vacations became a focal point for family time together, and taking 2 big trips each year to far-away places has been the norm all during the boy's lives. The only downside to kids is that as they grow, you cant help but feel the aging process pulling on you. Happily, the Cajun beauty has pushed it away much better than most. But the guy has never had the persistence and determination of her, and alas, traded youthful charms for rugged wisdom.
As the 30th anniversary rolled around, one son was off to college and the other wasn't too far behind. Another chapter of life was coming to an end. But the couple once again began to find spare time to spend on themselves. The Cajun beauty worked hard and successfully to stay youthful, and has also flourished as a professional in the business world. The guy has a good job too, but has been more focused on golf, motorcycles and having fun than on self-improvement.
When the happy couple reached 5-0, health and vitality became a top priority. The guy began doing triathlons. They ran half-marathons together, did several 40-mile bike rides together, and she completed a rigorous exercise boot-camp. One of her goals at age 25 had been to be physically fit in her 50s, and she surpassed that goal easily.
Well, well, well. 2016 brought the 40th wedding anniversary and the 60th birthdays followed closely behind. The boys are grown and (almost) independent now. Time has flown but the cajun babe is just as stunning to look at and fun to be with as ever. Whether snorkling in Maui or snowmobiling in Yellowstone, we seem to find ways to squeeze the most out of our time together. It doesn't get much better than that.
And the story continues ...