The Beginning

 

On the 27th of January 1970, a young newlywed young woman got on a plane, her first plane ride, and flew from Miami, FL, to Madrid, Spain, where she caught another flight to Seville, where her young husband, who was in the US Navy, was going to pick her up.

When she got to Madrid, all of the information booths were closed, she couldn’t speak Spanish, she didn’t know where she was supposed to go to catch her flight to Seville. She walked up and down the area, waiting and praying. A gentleman came up to her and asked her where she was going. She told him and he said he was going to Seville too, but would be on the next flight after hers. He asked if she had had any breakfast and she said no. He bought her a pastry and an orange juice. He showed her where she was to catch her next flight and saw that she got onto the right plane. She thanked him. He also had told her that he would be going on to Rota, which is where her husband was stationed.

Dear husband rented a car, spent the night before in Seville, and left plenty early from his hotel the next morning to pick her up. Alas, he got lost, even with directions. He drove around and could not find his way out of the city. If you have every been to Spain you will understand. Their roads the way they are set up are no way like in America. He finally asked a policeman, she thinks, and he told him where he had to go.

Meanwhile, young wife is waiting and everyone had left the airport as they were picked up by family, or whoever, and when taxi drivers would question her, she would just smile and point to her wedding rings, meaning her husband was picking her up. Eventually he did show up and they were so glad to see each other. They had made it this far. Hurray for them. They waited for the next plane to come in so that they  both could thank the gentleman. The plane came in and he was NOT there.  They left, and to this day, they think it is possible that he was a guardian angel sent to help the young wife.

This was the beginning of their life living together as husband and wife, as friends and lovers, for the rest of their life. Through thick and thin, for better or worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer until death took dear husband home to be with God 9 Dec. 2012.

They were excited to be together, starting out on this new adventure. It was like a 3 year honeymoon living in Spain, something they cherished their whole life together.

Here is a picture of them taken that first year in Seville. The picture is faded, but oh the memories this photo has brought back to the now widowed wife. She knew she wanted to write about this event, and she had this picture in mind or one like it, but had no idea where it was.

She got home from work today and started looking, after praying to God to help her find the photo, and she found it almost right away in a drawer filled with photos, most of them from after they got home and much later. So, to her this was a miracle, an answer to prayer, a love gift from God to her. She cried, she thanked God and she fell in love more than ever with her dear husband. The husband of her youth, middle and older age. The love of her life.

Losing the other half of you is rough, really rough. No words can describe it. This wife is so happy and thankful for all the years they shared together.

I love and miss you dear Mark. I am happy to have been your wife all those years. We had so much fun together, we laughed, played, cried, grew. You are missed terribly, but I am looking forward to being reunited with you whenever that will be. I am still trusting God to take care of me and He is in more ways than I even know.

Love ~ Your RaineyWife