Say Goodnight Gracie.

Recently, I read one of those research/survey studies, which examined what 'causes or leads' to good relationships in marriages. The conclusions suggested many elements that could be advanced as marital happiness-ingredients. The study offered a sliding scale of probable happiness and lasting marriages as it relates to the birth order of couples. You know...such things as oldest married to oldest  tend to lead to greater success than only child married to only child. Wow, you can see the endless possibilities with this approach.

I particularly found interest in the belief that humor is a big positive in happy unions. I began thinking about the endless moments of pure joy brought to our marriage by my wife's antics. It is difficult to identify the funniest moment but I'll toss out one that would certainly be in the top ten.

We were returning to Decatur after visiting with friends in Assumption, Illinois when my wife asked me to pull into a Dollar General Store so she might buy some greeting cards. This usually means a dozen cards and one shopping cart full of other items. I pulled into a parking spot near the front door and told her I was going to a nearby gasoline/convenient store to purchase fuel.

In perhaps 15 minutes, I returned from the gas fill up to the Dollar General Store where I pulled into the second parking spot since the one near the door was occupied. I waited in the auto listening to music as my wife took her time shopping. Soon I looked up to see her coming through the front door pushing an overflowing cart of goods. I watched my wife as she pulled her cart along side the auto next to ours. She opened the back door of that car and began tossing bags into this auto. I began laughing when I saw the look on the man's face sitting behind the steering wheel...it was the most bewildered expression I've ever seen as this gentleman watched this strange woman throwing her 'stuff' into his car. I started honking my horn rapidly and waving at my wife. Soon she looked in my direction and realized her mistake. She grabbed her bags and started tossing them into our car. As my wife slid into the front seat of our auto she said, "That was your fault, you moved the car." That comment from the lady who once made the observation, "It really gets dark at night in the Ozarks."