REAL GOLD

NOTES OF CONCERN

…Jackson Blair





REAL GOLD





We’ve all heard of “Fool’s Gold”. This designation refers in a derogatory manner to people who think they have found gold, something of value, but have only found the mineral pyrite that because of it luster and hue resembles real gold.



This “fool’s gold” came to mind as I was reading Mary Moreau’s wonderful chronicling of the almost 70 year marriage of Gardner’s

William and Annette Sargent.



The Sargents certainly found real gold, not fool’s gold, in their partnership. They met in high school, had a long courtship, got engaged, had a long engagement, got married and had, and are having, a long married life together.



Along the line, they worked side by side in the family business and in the work involved in raising two sons. They got involved in activities they both enjoyed and they partnered in all of them.



They traveled in an RV and they made friends far and wide.



Contrast these lives with what we see commonly today.



These two people worked at their love.



These two people allowed enough time between steps in their relationship to feel pretty secure about their feelings.



They became helpmates in the biblical sense to one another throughout life.



When they made a commitment to each other, they intended to keep it, to honor it, and to cherish it. From time-to-time they get to celebrate it, as they will in September, a month that will mark seventy years of married life for this 91-year-old husband and his 89-year-old wife.



As a society we should take a moment to marvel at this sort of story. It is all too uncommon. Our children and grandchildren, most of them, will not experience this lifelong love and commitment. It is no longer common nor is it highly valued in our society.



This year will mark my own 42nd anniversary. Like the Sargents, my wife and I met when we were in school. We had a four-year courtship before our marriage so I really count our time together as 46 years.



The majority of our friends from of our wedding party are now divorced. Divorce is so common among our generation. We count ourselves fortunate to have been able work together at building our married life, of trying to keep foremost in our own thinking the concept of commitment, not to mention making such a commitment before God.



I am writing this column on Valentine’s Day.



I read about the Sargents on Valentine’s Day.



All of this is very special to me as I am a bit of an incurable romantic when it comes to things like this.



Mr. and Mrs. Sargent, I am awed by your dedication to one another, to your story as it was written in The Gardner News, and to your ongoing faithfulness to the commitments you made.



I celebrate you. You stand out in this day and age as unique. You are to be congratulated and envied.



In September 2010, I hope you and your wife will accept an invitation from my wife and me to dine together. You two are role models that we would like to meet. You can contact us in September through this newspaper.



In the meantime, enjoy the real GOLD you have in your life.



Perhaps this is what was really intended when the phrase the “GOLDEN YEARS” was coined.



Too many today are living their lives with FOOL’S GOLD.



They are missing so very much.


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