In the life of every family there are mileposts along the way to mark the special occasions that grace life. This past week, the King family quietly noted one of these mileposts without much fanfare but that does not mean it was not something on our minds.
My son, Josh, and my daughter-in-law, Melissa, observed their tenth wedding anniversary. Ten years! It does not seem possible that ten years could have gone so quickly. Their union has brought great joy into the life of a proud father who has had the privilege to share many of those years with this most special couple.
Along the way, I have seen my son blossom into a man who is a man in every sense of that word. He is thoughtful, kind, resourceful, energetic, dedicated, and so devoted to his family. He conducts his life with integrity and dignity that defines what manhood should be. He has embraced the love of his life with all of his energy and being and his pledge of lifelong devotion will, no doubt, be filled with many years of a life together.
As I have gotten to know my daughter-in-law, I have come to see her as a very special lady with gifts untold. She loves Josh with every fiber of her being. When they are together, she lights up. When he cracks one of his dry jokes, her face beams with great laughter. You can see that with Melissa in his life, Josh is completed as a human being and her life is complete with him. She is a genius when it comes time to save money for the family yet heaps her gifts of natural motherhood on her family without reserve.
During these ten years, we have welcomed two new Kings into the world.
There is Aliyah. Aliyah is filled with the energy and excitement that you would expect from any seven year old. She loves to do nothing more than run and play in the summertime sun. She lives for the pool and long walks with mom and dad. Her passion is reading and will spend quiet hours devouring books and any other reading material that may be at hand. She loves to teach her little sister how to read and delights in their time together. She is the spitting image of her father and possesses the wit of her mother. She, too, loves without reserve and gives her heart totally to all.
Then we have Keirah. Keirah is a gentle soul. Content to play alone or with big sister Aliyah, she is sweetness defined. Her mind is sharp and is a sponge for detail. She loves the summer too, and lives for those times when pool season comes along. She bears a striking resemblance to her maternal grandmother and has an easy smile and loving way that touches the heart so deeply. Keirah is a sensitive soul so that at times she bursts into tears for no apparent reason only to sport her captivating smile moments later.
And then we have the unknown King waiting in the wings for a scheduled appearance in mid-September. What will this little one bring to our lives as the union of my son and his wonderful wife takes on yet another dimension? It will be an adventure I am sure!
Lastly, I want to thank Josh and Melissa for gracing our lives with theirs. We have all grown together and become a family. The time that we have together is not nearly enough because of the distance between us. But that is a blessing in itself because it makes the time we have together even more special, knowing that is not commonplace. Our pride and love for you both knows no bounds and we couldn't be happier for the both of you.
May God grant you many more decades together and may he continue to bless our family with the love and grace that he has shown in these last ten years.
Happy Anniversary!
