Anita Ruth Armstrong: The Happiest Person I Know

My wife of 40-plus years celebrates her birthday today. (I doubt if she would care if I told you her age but I will not take the chance that I am wrong!) If you actually knew Anita you would agree with me that she has to be the happiest person you know. She has a spirit of optimism and a sense of fun that is second to none. She loves life, loves me and loves her children and grandchildren. And she loves our little dachshund like her third child, or pretty close to it. She finds joy in dark clouds and sees hope when I see failure. 

Anita’s sense of humor knows only some bounds. She has learned to restrain her humor over the years. (Spurgeon once told a lady who rebuked him for being so fun-loving and full of jokes that if she knew just how much he restrained himself she would be impressed with his piety.) When Anita was younger, and I was the pastor of a congregation, some people were put off by her happy way. (The fact is most of the people loved her as much or more as me! I understood why so it never bothered me all that much.) Regardless, she always has been blessed with a cheerful way of framing almost everything in life. She epitomizes the words of the Proverb: “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength” (22:17).

Recently Anita bought matching pillow cases for us. When I saw the one she gave to me it said, “Mr. Right.” I smiled and thought this is pretty nice. But then I saw her pillow case and had to laugh with the joke when I read: “Mrs. Always Right.” That’s Anita!

Anita’s friends know her as a person who will always be there to help them whenever possible. She is a good neighbor and takes the initiative to share joy with others freely. She will gladly pitch in to help and has always been a genuinely cheerful giver. She is filled with gratitude, hope and cheer. God knew, when he gave birth to a little girl in Cicero, Illinois, many years ago on this date that this little girl, Anita Ruth Siml, would make the perfect wife and friend for a man who needed to live with such a happy, cheerful and wonderful person. Happy Birthday Anita! I love you so very much.