60 Years of Devotion

December 31, 1965 in a small church in Point Pleasant, WV, my parents devoted their lives to one another both at the tender age of twenty-one. Today, they are celebrating their 60th anniversary together for the first time since 2016. If you are new here On The One Four One, that may read odd to you so let me get you up to speed. My Daddy passed in 2017 and my Mom went to be with him in October of this year. When Daddy passed, I watched a part of my Mom leave with him. When she had her cardiac event in 2021, the cardiologist showed my brother and me on the screen the moment the aorta dissected, we literally watched her heart break. I have never looked at the broken heart emoji the same way since. I told a friend of mine that I literally watched my mom’s heart break she said – it’s real thing – look it up. She’s a nurse and gave me the medical term. Later that evening, I did look it up. An intense physical or emotional event often comes before broken heart syndrome. Anything that causes a strong emotional reaction may trigger the condition. As much as she loved all of us, her devotion to him broke a piece of her heart a little more each day until they were reunited. After she passed, my brother asked me – what are they going to put on her certificate? I said – I don’t know. When I received it, I told him – a broken heart.

Do I miss them both? Beyond any words that could be spoken or written. But, my own heart rejoices at the fact that they are together again for eternity healthy and whole. Their celebration together today undoubtedly is beyond any party that my brother and our families could have ever put together for them!

I think about how my daughter is twenty-two and how very young she seems and quite frankly is. Then, I look at these photos of two people at twenty-one and how very young they were and how much has changed in sixty years with people and their devotion to one another. Their marriage wasn’t perfect – no marriage is – if anyone says that their marriage hasn’t had ups and downs, run because they’re lying to you. Social media is full of highlight reels and posts for sure.

Two years ago this month, mom and I went to a service for a friend of hers that was held in the same church that she and daddy married. It was surreal sitting there with her in the same room that they began their lives committed to one another. And to this day, I am thankful for that moment with her.

When I was little, I remember family coming to our house as we celebrated New Years Eve together and my parents’ anniversary. I thought how exciting it was that the world was celebrating at the same time of their anniversary with party horns, confetti and the clinking of glasses alongside of us!

So, tonight I ask that when you are celebrating a new year wherever you may be and whomever you may be with that you take a moment and raise a glass to Paul and Linda Williams and 60 years of devotion.

Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad!! Thank you for showing us love and devotion not only to each other but to all of us!