Real Life Romance: When "For Worse" Kicks In

We all say the vows in our wedding, "for better or for worse," but we don't really consider what that truly means. I've witnessed quite a few couples have to face the "for worse" part, in situations like Alzheimer disease, cancer, or simply old age. And when they grow even closer due to that "worse" part, it's a beautiful thing.
Today, Kathy Cretsinger is with us to talk about her fifty-seven year long relationship with her husband Jerry, and how they are facing the "for worse" in their life.

Jerry and Kathy with one of their grandsons

On February 22, 1963, I married my best friend, Jerry Cretsinger. We had a simple wedding in my parent’s living room. Nothing fancy, except it snowed. Jerry lived in the mountains of East Tennessee. In fact, it’s in the corner of NE Tennessee, where Tennessee juts out into North Carolina. There is always snow in the mountains. Our biggest fear was the possibility of him getting snowed in.
He didn’t get snowed in, and we were married by my brother-in-law, Joe Galloway. It was a small crowd. We never wanted anything fancy, just family.
We had three children, Diane, Larry, and Genice. Genice passed away when she was six years old, due to a hospital accident. When she died, Jerry and I learned to lean on each other.
You don’t realize how much you love someone until you have something bad happen. Our love has grown in the past fifty-seven years. It doesn’t feel like fifty-seven years, but it has been. We’ve watched our remaining children grow and bless us with four grandchildren.

When I was in my mid-fifties, I began noticing changes in my eyes. My eyes were checked, and I was told I had Dry Macular Degeneration. No big deal, my dad and aunt had the same thing. I could handle it. I was strong. At least that’s what I thought.
As years went by, my eyesight began to get worse. There is nothing you can do for Dry Macular Degeneration (DMD), but I keep praying for something to come along that will help all with DMD. I had to stop driving about four years ago.
I’ve never had to ask Jerry to help me. He’s always there with his arm out for me to grab it. You don’t realize how much you enjoy your sight until you start to lose it. My depth vision is very bad right now. Jerry is always there to tell me there is a step and help me go from one place to another.
This is what I experience in my daily life, and why I appreciate and love my husband so much. When I look at someone, I may see half a face, or I may cut their head off. In other words, I can only see from their neck down. The head is missing. When I read, I see double or I see the words jumping around on the book or computer. I cannot read signs when we’re driving. Sunlight hurts my eyes. I need help walking up and down steps. Thankfully, we live in a one-story house.
If I can’t see a person clearly, Jerry is there to tell me who it is. When you think about it, I basically need help walking.
I have always been an independent person. I’d rather do something than have anyone help me. Now, I have to have help doing certain things. I don’t think anyone else would do things for me like Jerry does. It shows his love for me, and I so love him more each day.
Last year I began noticing low vision helps on Amazon. I had already been told by the doctor to start working with some things to help me as my sight leaves me more. There is a little thing that looks like a large thermometer. As your run it across a line in a book, it scans the line and reads it to you. This is so nice, and I’m so thankful Jerry got it for me at Christmas. My best Christmas present ever.
This man has made my life so bright, even if I can’t see well. He helps me and loves me so much. Thank you is not adequate. I am so thankful God brought him into my life. Love you Jerry Cretsinger for all the things you do for me. ​

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Kathy Cretsinger is o-owner of Mantle Rock Publishing LLC. Mantle Rock Publishing LLC is a small Christian publisher. We publish Christian Romantic Suspense, Christian Historical
Romance, Christian Cozy Mysteries, and Christian  Contemporary Romance.
Kathy and her husband, Jerry, live in Kentucky. They have two grown children, five grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Their time is spent in the fall between football
games and other activities involving the grands.
Kathy also speaks at writer’s conferences.
Kathy and Mantle Rock Publishing LLC are devoted to help the author find their way in the marketing industry. Kathy is also an author writing under the name of Katt Anderson and now
Kathy Cretsinger. Her latest book, Coastal Promises, released in 2019. Another book will be out soon, Daisy’s Story, Nothin’ Shady Ever Happens in Shady Valley. You may reach her here.

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Coastal Promises

All Yours, Art and Soul

Beth Kindall’s desire to discover the anonymous buyer of her watercolor painting is complicated by the arrival of architect, Trevor Garrett. Their instant spark upsets Trevor’s realtor who already had her eyes on the newcomer. Can Beth unravel the mysterious buyer, sort out her own commitment issues, and thwart the realtor’s advances on Trevor?

For the Love of Dolphins

Sadie Miller inherited one of the dolphin tour boats when her father passed away suddenly. She was determined to make the tour as successful as her father had, even with the problems with her dad’s brother Uncle Joe. When her old middle school flame. Ian Glover returns from England, and her life takes her places she’d never dreamed.

Pawleys Aisle

Leaving a lucrative position in the banking world for the creative world of weddings, Chelsea Prince finds the perfect venue, Pawleys Island Chapel, next door to the perfect walled garden. Her elderly neighbor and partner-in-planning have an agreement, but when the unexpected happens, she has to deal with the cranky grandson who wants to be left alone to write the next great American novel. Since Chelsea has sworn off men, it shouldn’t be a problem to ignore him and go on her way hosting weddings in the chapel. But when Marc McCallum offers up a compromise, she wonders if maybe there is one man out there that can be trusted.

Surf Song

Dreams don’t always work out as imagined, a fact country music singer Rachelle has learned all too well. Burned out by the demands of her singing career, she flees from Nashville to a quaint inn in the Outer Banks of North Carolina where she hopes to find peace and clarity. Registering under her real name of Holly Bellamy and sporting a new hair color and style to disguise her true identity, she revels in being just a “regular person.” When she and the inn’s owner begin to develop feelings for each other, however, her life takes a turn she never expected.

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