Have you ever read C.S. Lewis’ book, ‘The Four Loves?’ In it, he makes the distinction of ‘being in love’ with what he calls ‘a quieter love.’ As he explains, ‘Being in love is a good thing, but it is not the best thing. There are many things below it, but there are also things above it. You cannot make it the basis of a whole life. It is a noble feeling, but it is still a feeling. Now no feeling can be relied on to last in its full intensity, or even to last at all. Knowledge can last, principles can last, habits can last but feelings come and go.’
I often think of that quote when I am photographing couples. We have a way of celebrating young love in the photography community, and it is no wonder. It is refreshing to see couples so happy to have found each other. It is inspiring to see the way they look at each other and the hope they have for the future as they take their vows to spend the rest of their lives taking care of one another. I love photographing young love.
But there is another, arguably even more beautiful side to this love, and that is the kind of love that emerges through years of trials and hardship by one another’s side. This is what Lewis calls the quieter love. This is the wiser love, the love that can only be forged through years of choice, discipline and faith in one another. There is something that is unspeakably beautiful about this love, something that deserves every ounce of respect and celebration that we can give it.
It is with this in mind that I had the pleasure of meeting and celebrating the life and love of a local couple, Aletta and Lloyd Baxter. They have been married for 55 years. Meeting with them and being entrusted to tell their story through this North Dallas couples session was such a joy and honor. Please take a moment to read some of Aletta’s thoughts on what 55 years of marriage has meant to her.
‘Being in love’ first moved them to promise fidelity: this quieter love enables them to keep the promise. It is on this love that the engine of marriage is run: being in love was the explosion that started it.” –C. S. Lewis
Lloyd and Aletta, 1962
“We met in 1960, introduced by a friend of Lloyd’s family. After getting to know each other, we found our families’ backgrounds were similar. His parents had four children: Wanella, Lloyd, Clifford and Freida. My parents had four children: Clint, Aletta, June and Janie. His family were farmers and so were mine. Growing up we all had to help work on the farm, with taking care of the cows, horses, pigs, chickens and pets. We raised a big garden and canned most of our food (a good farm life).
We did not know we were not financially blessed, as we were raised on love. After we married, Lloyd worked at Southwest Airmotive as a mechanic…and he retired as a mechanic. He was known as the Tractor Man in Melissa. I worked for State Farm Regional Office in Dallas for 34 years. I was the first female promoted to a management position and retired in 1994.
We lived in Melissa for 47 years, and moved to Anna 10 years ago, where we bought 13 acres and built a house. We have 1 son, Mike, who married Lynda. Cody and Denver are twins, Tyler and Chelsea are getting married in May. Corey and Jennifer live in Maryland, and have been married since 2006. The light of our life is our great granddaughter, Kyleigh, Denver and Leslie’s daughter. She will be two in September. We raised a great niece, Courtney. She is married to Wayne. They have five boys, Brendon, Connor, Andrew, Trace and Mac. They live in Melissa and they bring a lot of joy to our lives. We adore them.
We will have been married for 56 years in June and take our marriage vows seriously. God has blessed us through His grace and provisions. To each other, we always say, “Whatever we do, we do for you.” Our greatest blessing is to be associated with Pin Oaks Christian Fellowship as our church family. We can not always go to church, as we have some health issues, but we know all we have to do is call and they will be here.
I would say being in our 80’s we are still “Lucky in Love.”
Thank you to Christina Freeman Photography for the gift of this North Dallas couples session.
