It was an ordinary day. The headline on the front page of my LNP newspaper read, "A Diamond Day." The lead story, or perhaps I should say "Love Story", was about a couple who were celebrating their 75th Wedding Anniversary by making a pilgrimage back home to Lancaster County to celebrate their anniversary with dozens of friends and relatives. Their story began close to 76 years ago when Melvin saw a teenage Amish girl named Anna walking around the grounds of The Green Dragon, a farmer's market in nearby Ephrata, Pennsylvania, with a puppy under her arm. Then, 19 year old Melvin knew instantly that...she was it! At the time he was too shy so he asked a friend to approach her and break the ice with Anna. Anna asked the friend, "Which one is he?" and he pointed to Melvin, who by now was the boy with the red face! Melvin recalled that he was very shy as a young boy. Well...I guess you know what happened...they married and as of today have 12 children, 42 grandchildren, 98 great grandchildren, and 12 great-great grandchildren. Many of them gathered a short time ago to celebrate Melvin and Anna High's 75th Wedding Anniversary. You read that right...75 years of wedded bliss! So...for those of you reading this that may be married...how many years have you been married? Are you still together with your better half? Are you even 75 years old? And...have you ever been to the Green Dragon? Well, after their first encounter at the Green Dragon, they went on a date to an ice skating party where they talked to each other the whole time. Less than a year later they were married, on September 25, 1948, in Anna's parent's yard near New Holland, PA. At the time, yours truly (that means me!) had just turned 4 years old. Today, the High's reside in Texas, but returned to Lancaster with their extended family to honor this milestone. Family members traveled from as far as California to celebrate and visit locations important to the couple, including The Green Dragon! This past Friday night, Melvin and Anna sat at an elevated table behind cutouts of their younger selves. Several dozen of their relatives sat at a "U" shaped table, facing them with a fire pit warming the night air. The Highs worked as missionaries for more than 60 years. Melvin was a pastor for most of his life and still preaches to this day. The key to their marriage...keeping God and faith as a focus and never fighting. Maybe a few disagreements, but never a fight! Today, they say, "We love each other more than we ever have." Happy Anniversary from An Ordinary Guy!! It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy,
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