Well, we made it. Not that I had my doubts, but things happen. And a lot has happened.
We hit the official 25 year mark for married-dom on Monday. There are any number of things to put this “achievement” in perspective. Celebrating my parents’ 50th anniversary at the same time. Visiting with my 90-year old grandmother, who looked up at a picture of Grandpa Charles and said, “I don’t remember sleeping with that man.” The space program is older than my marriage.
However, this union has been around longer than the Personal Computer, VCR’s, CD’s, MP3’s, IPods, indoor football, and Green Day. It has survived 3 wars, AIDS, several recessions, the War on Inflation, and “Saved by the Bell.” We’ve even stayed together through “Back to the Future III;” what a clunker that was.
We’re not the same people that we were, going into this thing. We’ve changed. What hasn’t changed is our commitment to each other. I’ve learned that every good marriage has a certain air of mystery about it. People say a lot of practical things, but there’s more to this two-candles-into-one-flame thing than meets the eye. Alchemy – turning (in my case) lead into gold. A bit of science, a bit of magic, and some hard work.
We are not proud people, but I am proud of what we do have – a safe, stable home for all four of us. I love to go home. I like to be home. My wife and kids are (more often than not) glad to see me. I am at my best when I am with them. We’re good, together. Increasingly, not a lot of people have this.
I’m glad I got married. I’m glad I’m still married. I can’t imagine life without her. In a world where seemingly everything has changed, it’s one of the few constants in my mind and heart. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
