Day 61: 45 Years Of Marriage & Counting

This weekend, my parents will celebrate their 45^th wedding anniversary. That’s four-plus decades of relationship experience from which I have been privileged to draw upon from up close and personal. What a gift to have been able to watch your parents move through the years together, unwavering and united. What a foundation from which to have been created and to which to be able to constantly return.  

My parents married when they only 17 and 18. Within two years, they had two babies in the house to tend to. Not an easy task for any parents, but at such a young age, all the more difficult. At 18, I could barely buckle my belt, let alone work day in and out and then come home to raise babies at night. At 18, the most that I was responsible for was picking which party I was going to hit on any given night or what hat I was going to throw on my head in the morning on the way to class. I was more worried about restocking my supply of hair gel at that age than buying diapers. The differences between my existence and theirs at that age were night and day. Night and day.

My parents gave me everything I needed throughout my life and little that I didn’t deserve. I’m entirely grateful for that. They showed me what life could be like if you marry your best friend and stay committed to the greater cause. They showed me what loyalty means on the deepest level and what respect can return you. They showed me how to protect your loved ones and why it’s important and vital. From my parents I learned what’s possible when you hand your trust and well-being over to another, despite the inherent risks involved, and why it’s worth risk.

I realize how fortunate my parents are to have one another. I know too many people who have spent the better parts of their lives searching for the right someone or trying to escape the wrong someone or who are too enamored with their own selves to be aware of anyone else. I realize that a good many events had to line up just right for them to cross paths and head down the same road together. I realize how many lonely, lost souls walking the planet would give anything for even a month of what my parents have had for 45 years. I know all this.

I also know that sticking it out with someone for 45 years takes more than just waking up in the same bed every morning. It takes a lot of acceptance and patience and endurance and tolerance. It takes vulnerability and honesty and devotion to fill the years with happiness and joy and success. It takes covering each other’s weaknesses and putting forth each other’s strengths. It takes work, a lot of work.

I’m so proud of my parents. I’ve always been envious of how they found each other early on. I’m so thankful for my heritage, and I salute it in the most sincere, authentic manner.