February 20, 1971, we finally became husband and wife.
I wish I could tell you that it has been a great life from that day forward. Our first year was hard. Finances were very tight. Another issue was PTSD that I did not understand, plus my immaturity. Also, in that first year we suffered from a miscarriage of the pregnancy we both deeply wanted.
We were having an argument the day it happened, and I do not have a clue what it was about, but I will be forever convinced my outburst of anger, yelling, and slamming the door on my way out caused Ruthi to lose our precious first child. I had not released my hold on the doorknob before I heard a pained scream and cry from Ruthi inside that made me quickly go back . . . she was suddenly bleeding badly.
It broke our hearts more that our family members seemed relieved that we had lost that child. They could not understand our desire for that child so soon after our marriage began.
A few years and two children later, our love was growing, but hard to build on and maintain, and we could not figure out why.