We just celebrated 41 years of marriage.  That’s a very long time.  We married young, too young really, but somehow we’ve made it work.  Thinking about this, I jotted down a few reasons why I think we’ve made it 41 years… in no particular order, and with tongue in cheek for a few ….

1. We made a vow to God
2. We made a covenant with each other
3. We made a promise to family and friends
4. We created 4 children who count on us to hold it together
5. We have grandchildren who need an example of what true commitment looks like
6. He doesn’t beat me
7. I don’t nag him (too much)
8. He’s handy and can fix things
9. I make a pretty darn good cherry pie
10. We really do love each other
11. We have never fallen out of love… at the same time
12. We patch things up pretty quickly because I don’t like conflict; neither does he
13. He mowed the grass for 35 years; now I mow it… life changes…. we adapt
14. When he tells me he’s taken out the trash, I respond with “I love you too” (life got so much better when the epiphany of his actions became clear to me)
15. I learned he’s not a mind reader, but when I tell him – with words – what I need, he responds with, “I can do that”
16. I respect him and he loves me for that – confides and trusts in me
17. Because he loves me in that way, I can trust him to lead
18. He wants the best for me
19. I want the best for him
20. We have never said the “D” word – ever
21. Divorce is not an option
22. The grass is NOT greener on the other side…it is the same grass with the same weeds
23. As we just keep working on the weeds, flowers do bloom — eventually
24. We muck through until it gets better
25. It always gets better