Incredible Woman #38 - Barbara Anderson. Thursday's Question.

KARA: "Tell us your love story. After 45 years of marriage, what makes your marriage a success? What is the most important thing you and your husband do for each other?"

BARBARA: "Bruce and I met when I was 13 and he was 15, at a church dance. It was not love at first sight. I thought his friend was a better catch. I learned what a big mistake that was. Bruce and I went together exclusively for 4 1/2 years, and were married April 23, 1965. Everyone said it wouldn't last because we were so young, but I knew he was the one for me. We have had our good times and some bad. But we have always stood by each other and our love has never faltered. As our children came along we had our differences about how to raise them but we worked things out by communicating and talking things out. The differences were always about the little things and not about the major things. Our parents had brought us up well, and taught us to follow the council of our family and church leaders. We have always been in love. So you overlook the imperfections and work to make yourselves better. We are still working on that. I think that every good marriage has its compromises. One person is not always right or wrong. You have to work together. We both love our children more than ourselves. And we love each other more than our own selves. You have to want to work together to solve any problems that come up. Bruce is my life now and he always has been. Our love has grown each year, week, day!!!! Have we ever had fights ? YES!! Have I usually been right? YES!!! But you don't get mad and call it quits. You work things out. I thank God every day for such a wonderful husband."

KARA: "Now that you are retired, tell us what plans you have. What are you looking most forward to?"

BARBARA: "Well, because my daughter is writing this blog I am not going to tell everything I'm going to do. I have to keep her and her sister in suspense. But I guess I'm looking forward to doing anything I want. Not having to get up at a certain time each day and go to work. I'm excited to spend more time with my husband doing things that we like to do. Spending more time with my daughters, just going to lunch, or anything else we want. Take Ellie, our youngest granddaughter to the zoo, having more great grandkids. Painting some, doing genealogy. READING. Maybe I'll learn to oil paint at some time. Also I inherited a piano from my mother-in-law and I would like to learn to play it... maybe I can talk Kara into teaching me!"

Tomorrow is our last day with Barbara. I hope you are enjoying this interview as much as I am. I'm learning things I never knew, even though Barbara is my mom! Tomorrow we'll talk about Barbara's new hobby - Genealogy, and ask her what her beauty secrets are (I know one - Oil of Olay!)