Mike and Gail

"Oh my, I never thought you'd be interested in knowing all these boring facts about a couple old timers like us, Sunny" Gran said as Pops dosed in his recliner. "Well," Sunny said, "I am doing a report for the school newspaper, I'm practicing for after college when I get a job at the Canton, Herald newspaper. The report lays out the facts about how the idea and concept of marriage has changed over time, and other methods and concepts have advanced to such a degree that it's affecting society. I am analyzing the idea of same gender marriages in my article, and I thought a nice touch would be to interview a traditional married couple, and a gay couple and include my interviews in the paper." Gran smiled and nodded her head to signify she would be glad to take the interview. "So we grew up with one another, our mother's were best friends, and we were neighbors. Actually there was vegetable garden splat dab in between our adjoined back yard. Every summer we would both get chores that involved us tending to that garden, picking corn, digging potatoes, hoeing..." Pops had woken up and said, "Now Gail you know darn well I did all that hoen and diggen taters, while you rested your pretty little self on the swing set a'drinken Mamma's home-made lemonade." Gran smiled and lifted her eyebrows and looked over her shoulder and said," Someone had to snap all those peas, and shuck that corn. Who do you think peeled all those potatoes for your dinner, hmm?" Pops retorted, "Yeah, I know the women had the hard job of peelen taters, and snappen peas while us men did back braken work in the hot blisteren East Texas sun." "Darling, don't forget that I had our children to tend to as well. Remember, the clothes had to be scrubbed on a wash board, and hung to dry? I had to teach Sunday school class, and school as well." Gran said.

Pops added, "Yeah those were the good ole' days, do you remember the church picnics, and how we got paired to bob for apples together?" Gran replied with an dream like smile of satisfaction on her face, "Do you remember how we both locked down on that last apple in the bucket, and you gave up and let loose so I could win?" "Now, I didn't let you win, you were feisty and out witted me." Gran, who's name was Gail smiled and said, "Yes I may have won the contest, but you won my heart." Pops was a bit embarrassed and said, "I hear the tractor a callen, I gotta go." With that he left the room. Sunny said, "Pops where are you going, the interview's not over?" He had quickly stepped out the door, and Gail said, "Oh he'll be back, he just got embarrassed. Now where were we, Sunny? Oh yes, both of our families did everything together. Do you have any questions in particular that you want to ask me?" Sunny said, "I sure do, how do you know stuff about Pops before he knows it?" "Whatever do you mean, Sunny? Where on earth did you get an idea like that?" Gail ask. "Well, Gran you always seem to know stuff that Pop's is going to do, before he ever does it?" Sunny asked. "Well, I can kind of predict what your Pop's is going to do based on our long track record of 46 years of experience being married. We do not have a reason to change what we have been doing, it's been working for 46 years. Plus the little habits, and personality quirks are a part of why we chose one another." Gail said. "So what if those quirks were not good, what if you don't like something about the other person, how do you get along then?" Sunny quietly yet exquisitely ask. "Oh sweetheart, it's quite ok not to be in love with every aspect of your husband, or wife. That's just a part of marriage. Do you remember the first scripture Pop's quoted in his sermon this morning?" Sunny stood up and recited the scripture verbatim, "Psalm 139:13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful and I know that full well. Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days that were written in your book before one of them came to be. And Gran, that's God not us." "You are right, very good job by the way, was that your memory verse this morning?" Gran asked. "No it was last weeks memory verse? But now that I think about it, God made man for woman, and God united you two in marriage. So, he knew how you two would like each other." Sunny said. "What a bright young intelligent boy God made for my Grandson, that is exactly right. When you love each other and you put God first everything else in a marriage just works itself out. Because there is a kind of instruction manual in the bible for everyone's life. If you abide by the word of the Lord, your marriage union will be blessed, and fruitful."

Pops had came back into the den and plopped in his chair by then, just like Gran had predicted.

"So Sunny, you about got your report all finished, because I'm about to turn on me a Western?" Sunny said, "Sure Pops' thanks so much you two. I'll see you next Sunday for dinner." Sunny heads out the front door.

Mike said to Gail, "Would you like to make some lemonade and we can go sit on the front porch, and hold hands like we used too?" Gail retorted back with a sly grin, "No silly, I was thinking we could go in the barn and bob for apples." Mike laughed and said, "You know Gail, one of these days I'm gonna outwit you." Gail was headed through the kitchen entry way, "Well, meanwhile I'll make the lemonade, and meet you on the porch."