Mr Garrison Keillor was talking about a couple who had been married for a long time. "First, people didn't think it would ever last, and now they don't think it's ever going to end!" he said, as only he can.Well, as only we can, Peggy and I have been married 40 years as of today, and here we are, on the way to together forever.
That figures out to 14,600 days of waking up with love in my heart. And here's where the old man in me starts in. I talk to young people getting married or otherwise embarking on relationships, and I think it's important to go into things knowing that waking up every day with love in your heart does not mean that you also won't wake up with your boss climbing up your trellis about something that is/isn't your fault, or waking up with bills to pay and not enough pay to pay them all. Being in love doesn't mean that your fair share of bad stuff will hide around the corner, but it does mean that you have someone you love to help you figure out what to do.
And that's all you need.
Freshly married on December 8, 1973, we headed off to a honeymoon in Williamsburg VA, and we went back there this week for a few days. As I packed up the rolling hotel cart after we checked in, I had to stop and figure that we didn't even own that much stuff 40 years ago. And now we have a lot of stuff, but that's not what really matters.
It was at some point during the week's hoopla in the old colonial capital that we were laughing at something one of us said that I realized that in 40 years, we haven't become rich, but that Kardashian girl is really rich, and her marriage lasted 72 days. We became rich in what matters by simply loving each other through the broken dishes and broken hopes, and by enjoying together the new dishes and new hopes. And by laughing through it all, because, buddy, if you ain't laughin', you ain't livin'.
So, if today is your wedding day and you want to know how to stay married for 40 years, my first piece of advice would be to make sure you marry an angel, as I did. And then, stay there. Just as the key to giving up cigarettes is not lighting any cigarettes, if you want to stay married, stay married. But be sure to marry an angel. I did!
2 comments:
How sweet. I was graduating high school that year. You look like it is your high school prom in your wedding picture, you were so young! Many blessings for another 40 together.
Unfortunately, you're no better looking now than you were then. Fortunately, the opposite is true for your lovely Peggy.
Congratulations, you two. I long for the day when I find my angel.
Jim
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