Why I Still Love Her….After 45 Years!

The supreme blessing of my life was meeting and marrying, Dorothy Lucille Lancaster.  We met in the Fall of 1973 — I was a senior at the University of Houston, and Dorothy was a first semester law student at South Texas College of Law, having graduated from Rice University in the spring of 1972.  It was a miracle that we even met.  My brother had helped me move into the Towne Plaza apartments on Labor Day weekend, and we noticed a young lady moving boxes by herself.  We offered to help, and she accepted.  That young lady was Liz Girouard (now Liz Cobb), and she and Dorothy were roommates.  On the evening of Labor Day, I went down to see Liz with one of my roommates, and Liz introduced me to Dorothy; six months later, we were married.

I wish I could say it was love at first sight, but it wasn’t.  Or rather, in my heart it was love at first sight, but I didn’t dare admit it.  How could someone so smart, so kind, so generous, and so beautiful ever love me?  Well, thank goodness, the love I was reluctant to express overcame my feelings of not being good enough for this marvelous young lady, and we did in fact, dare to love each other.  So the answer to the question posed in the title of this post is simple —  after 45 years, she is still smart, she is still kind, she is still generous, and she is still beautiful.  But those are not the only reasons.  Dorothy has encouraged me, she has taught me, she has supported me, and she has forgiven me, even when I did things I didn’t deserve to be forgiven for.  She is the reason I went to law school.  She is the reason I have children, and grandchildren.  Everything good in my life has come from her.  She is the reason I am still alive today, and in reasonably good health.  Each day, I thank God for her and the love that we have managed to share for 45 years.

Yesterday, I said “Let’s get dressed up this evening, go have dinner on the River Walk, and go to a concert at the Aztec Theatre to celebrate our anniversary”.  We are at the stage of our lives where it is most difficult to buy meaningful presents for each other, so I thought a fancy night on the town might be a suitable celebration.  She replied, “Let’s go have a salad for lunch today and then go to a movie”, and that is what we did.  One of the things I love most about her is her love of simple things.  She is not pretentious.  She does not put on airs.  She does not love things more than people.  She is the perfect woman for me.  For many years, I have often remarked that I do not deserve the wife I have, and that if I had not met her, I would probably be lying in a gutter somewhere, or worse.  People think I am joking when I say that, but I am not joking — it is the truth.

So once again, it is that time of year that we celebrate our love, our commitment to each other, and are grateful for the blessing and miracle of our marriage for these many years.  Last night, I took apart our wedding album and scanned the photos that you see below into our computer.  As I was looking at these images, I was almost overcome with love and gratitude, and was moved to write these words.  What a lucky, lucky man I am to still have the opportunity to love this woman!  So, in celebration of our 45th anniversary, I post these pictures, and proclaim to the world that YES, YES, YES, I still love you Dorothy!

A Little Update…

A lot has happened since I wrote this post about Dorothy almost five years ago.  Dorothy beat breast cancer.  It wasn’t easy, with three surgeries, a month of radiation, and follow-up chemo treatments.  She did it with her usual courage and good cheer…never complaining, never feeling sorry for herself.  The battle took its toll on her, but, in my eyes, she is still as beautiful as the day I met her.  She also retired and helped take care of her elderly mother Betty.  When Betty passed away last year, Dorothy was her usual rock solid big sister to her siblings and other family members, helping them through their grief.

As I sit here this morning (February 9, 2024), I remain profoundly grateful that Dorothy is my wife.  She turns 74 in a few days, and early next month we will celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary.  We are at the stage in life where it is very challenging to buy gifts for these type of occasions, so, in contemplation of failing in this regard, I sat down and wrote these words.  Even if I don’t buy you a great birthday present, or plan you an extravagant anniversary party, I wanted you to know Dorothy, that I love you more than ever.  You are my friend, my lover, a great mother, and an inspiration to all who know you.  Yesterday while searching for a photo of Toby Keith (who passed away recently) I ran across the pictures below, which I took of you on one of our trips to Big Bend National Park.  Nature’s beauty, and the beauty of my wife!