Today started out like any other. At 7:30 am my husband called me and talked to me as he does every morning. He was in NY. I’m in Cape Cod. Except today was the day we have been married for 37 years. In past years I would’ve hated that we were apart on this day and probably would’ve tried to get him to drop everything and be here with me. Not today. He had responsibilities for work in NY and I completely understood and am looking forward to his early arrival tomorrow to go out and honor our special day.
During yoga I got to thinking about my change of attitude. I used to make myself and everyone else miserable if a special day couldn’t be worked out to my satisfaction. Not anymore. Having learned daily how to deal with a hot room and a practice that doesn’t always go my way, has, over time, changed me. I am much more able to breath, sit back, let things happen, instead of trying to force them a certain way, and appreciate the way life unfolds.
This weekend my husband and I will celebrate our 37 wonderful years together. They’ll be dinner, a movie, and a campfire to reminisce by until late into the night. Having been together since we were 17, there’s a lot of ground to cover. Not being able to be together today is really alright. We are past that and it’s a nice place to be. I must admit the invention of the iPhone has enhanced our commuter marriage, keeping us in constant touch while miles away, but I think it’s our 42 years plus foundation that keeps life as we know it, working.
4 homes, 3 dogs, and, oh yeah, two kids, over 37 years, it was and still is, the ride of my life. Thank you my dear hubby for always being there for me through it all. I’ll never forget the day I was moving out of the Perth building after 12 years, leaving fourth grade to go teach kindergarten at Broadalbin and I came home to flowers and a card, just because you knew it was a hard day for me. Thank you also for all the other countless times you thought of me and put me first.
When people ask me how we did this, I only have one answer. Each other’s happiness was always more important than our own. The desire for the other person’s happiness and contentment was also the source of own. That, and mutual respect. When in times of discord and disagreement we always focused on the issue. We never attacked each other’s person. We never swore at or called each other names or put each other down. No matter how much we disagreed over something, we never had the heart to hurt each other. That’s how we did 37 plus years, and that’s how we’ll do maybe 37 more.
And so, as another day goes by, so goes another year of being married to my best friend, looking forward to what this next year will bring, and…I have written.
Oh how I wish this was my story—-you both deserve to celebrate! BEAUTIFUL! L-J