If I had known then (specifically June 8, 1974) what I know now how would our lives have been different? Some things we know the answer to the question but some are unknown and will stay that way.
For instance, if I had known then what I know now would I still have wanted to marry you? You’d better believe it, no doubt about it! Our life together has been far beyond anything I could have ever imagined at twenty years old. Brad Paisley’s song, “Then”, pretty well sums that up when he says “I thought I loved you then, but now you’re my whole life, now you’re my whole world; I just can’t believe the way I feel about you girl…. We’ve come so far since that day, and I thought I loved you then.”
If I had known then what I know now, how would it have changed our lives? That’s the question we can’t answer. But I would like to speculate some. If I had known then what I know now, I’d like to think I would not have hurt you during our years together. I’d like to think I would have realized the importance of our relationship and not do anything to diminish that. I’d like to think that I would have learned sooner to communicate and talk instead of withdraw during times of stress or disagreement. I’d like to think that I would have treasured you more, that I would have realized sooner that you are the queen of our house and treated you as royalty. Experience teaches us so many things; unfortunately some lessons are learned through struggles and hardship. But when you have been through the fires of marriage for 48 years as we have, you do learn things that you would have liked to have known when you started down that road.
Paisley’s song continues with “I can just see you with a baby on the way”. I have, twice; you were beautiful and delivered two beautiful daughters. “I can just see you when your hair is turning gray”. I have, although not much and you are still beautiful.
Paisley’s song concludes with “what I can’t see is how I’m ever gonna love you more…. but I’ve said that before” and I can’t add anything to that!
Happy Anniversary Babe
6/8/1974 – 6/8/2022
carterscues 