The journey has been very long my dear, And you have safely reached your eightieth year, But you will never seem so old to me, I still recall your face just as it used to be. Your brow is smooth, your eyes are bright, You still retain your appetite. This human life doth now as ever Depend so much upon the liver. Some sixty years ago, I knew A fair young girl, she looked like you. We fell in love, a youthful dream, But even now, this world would seem A barren waste, if I could doubt The love I could not live without. 'Tis more than fifty years since we were wed, How rapidly the time has fled. The way has not been always smooth, I only cite the fact to prove Our love was true. That is to say We found some shadows o'er our way. But they were shadows only, and did not bother, For reaching out our hands to touch each other We kept the path until the light Shone out again and all was right. We've had our joy, our grief and sorrow, Differed today, agreed tomorrow, Forgave each other and repented, Firm one day, the next relented, But after all the truth to tell I think we've averaged very well. 'Tis almost four and fifty years Since you, with many sighs and tears, Bade farewell to home and friends, Not knowing what your life might be, With only faith in God and love for me. I'm thinking of the time gone by, When from your home, both you and I Came west to seek and make a home That we might claim and call our own. Without our kindred, friends or wealth, We started forth with youth and health. Whate'er we have, whate'er we've gained We know we've honestly obtained, And we grew strong in faith and hope, And never thought of giving up. To our store we added day by day, And faithful friends have joined us on our way. No woman ever bore a son More true and faithful than our one, And when he grew to man's estate And sought and found a worthy mate, We got our daughter ready grown And took and loved her for our own. But there's another blessing yet And one we never can forget: Our dearest Laurence-- The only grandchild we have left, Since of the other one bereft; But there is also present here A cherub from another sphere. He comes to us from realms above, Drawn hither by the power of love. We can but feel his presence here To honor Grandma's eightieth year. I do not know how many more Of birthdays you may have in store. It is not within our ken to know, Just how much further you may have to go Before you reach the end. But whether near or far, We all will meet you at the "Gates Ajar."