Illustrations for Love and Romance

Autumn can be a golden month, but tomorrow for our family it's going to be even more so. Oct. 5, 1963 was the day my sister and her husband were married. As I was a very young flowergirl for the occasion, my memories are comprised primarily of images from photographs and stories from others. Just the other day, for example, my mother (yes, God love her, alive and well alongside my father these 50 years later) remarked on what a beautiful fall wedding day it had been. Having seen the photos of little me in my short-sleeved golden taffeta dress, standing outside the church, sun glinting of the kaleidoscopic foliage, I trust she is right. Tomorrow, the happy couple are marking their occasion with a party, of course. After all, staying married is kind of a big deal. Especially these days. In fairness, let's first acknowledge there are many who claim we were never intended to be married so long. For that reason they maintain that we shouldn't be expected to stay with