THROUGH THE YEARS

I can't remember when you weren't there

When I didn't care for anyone but you

I swear we've been through everything there is

Can't imagine anything we've missed

Can't imagine anything the two of us can't do

Through the years

You've never let me down

You turned my life around

The sweetest days I've found

I've found with you

Through the years

I've never been afraid

I've loved the life we've made

And I'm so glad I stayed

Right here with you

Through the years

I can't remember what I used to do

Who I trusted whom, I listened to before

I swear you've taught me everything I know

Can't imagine needing someone so

But through the years it seems to me

I need you more and more

Through the years

Through all the good and bad

I knew how much we had

I've always been so glad

To be with you

Through the years

It's better every day

You've kissed my tears away

As long as it's okay

I'll stay with you

Through the years

Through the years

When everything went wrong

Together we were strong

I know that I belong

Right here with you

Through the years

I never had a doubt

We'd always work things out

I've learned what life's about

By loving you

Through the years

Through the years

You've never let me down

You turned my life around

The sweetest days I've found

I've found with you

Through the years

It's better every day

You've kissed my tears away

As long as it's okay

I'll stay with you

Through the years

This is one of my favorite Kenny Rogers songs. It is not only beautiful with the lyrics, but more importantly, the sentiment that goes along with it, it is how I feel toward TLW (The Little Woman). Corny, I know, but give an old fool his time.

I decided to take better control of my life recently and decided I needed to throw out things that at my age are no longer relevant or useful. I have my memories and tokens that I kept, but there are things that are no longer needed and are just taking up space.

Discovering in my 45 years of married life I owned an awful lot of wristwatches, gifts from my family and friends, cufflinks, fancy and dandy, initialed and studded with all kinds stones and pearls, gold, and silver, some showing places on them and some with beautiful designs. I found three pocket watches and one stopwatch.

Another collection I found was old eyeglasses. So, I decided I would take them and wear them by switching them during the day to confuse TLW. She noticed one pair, but not t the other. Life can be fun.

Then I found 45 years worth of hotel complimentary soaps, shampoos, mending kits, and body lotions that I amassed. My philosophy until recently was they are free, so take them home. Why? I have no idea, but between my armoire and my bedroom closet I had amassed quite a horde! I found a ring my grandmother gave me for my high school graduation and a pocket watch my boss gave me for Christmas back in the 70's!

But the best thing I found among the old cards TLW sent me was a beautiful letter she penned 35 years ago. I won't say what she said, but it did touch me very deeply, and when I read it, with all the memories I had just gone through, the Kenny Rogers song started to play in my head, and so there you have it.