Marriage, the whole “till death us do part” thing, is a big commitment.
What you don’t realise in that first flush of pheromones and the heady early days is that you are committing to a whole lot more than you first thought.
You are agreeing to love – even when the spouse is being an idiot.
You are agreeing to honour – even when you know for absolute certain they are wrong.
You are agreeing to obey – oh no scrap that one I didn’t agree to that – which is lucky ’cause I wouldn’t have managed to keep that vow for longer than it took for the ink to dry on the marriage certificate.
In sickness – yes when you are standing there in the fitness of your youth sickness seems a long way off – but trust me children will bring into the house all shades of the flu, vomiting, diarrhea and lice – nobody ever explained love means checking your spouse for head lice after yet another note home from the school that an outbreak has occurred.
In health – as the children’s immunity builds up there will be days when all of you are in good health – those will be the days when the kid falls off the swing and splits their head open, or rides their bike into a brick wall or … I won’t go on it will just get boring.
They don’t write loves songs about the reality of a long-term relationship. Nobody would sing along with “there will be days when they really piss you off, arguments over money, mind numbingly boring conversations over what’s for dinner, and a life of eternal compromise”. ‘Cmon sing along we could take this to number one!
Somehow you struggle along and one day you turn around and you’ve been together for 21 years and married for 16 of them. You will have created children and buried loved ones. You will have survived Navy separations, moved States, renovated and built houses. You will have got through crappy jobs, holidays from hell and near-death experiences. You will still be together.
Happy 16th Wedding Anniversary – can we apply for parole now?
I have been married 20yrs and agree with everything you have so beautifully written.Isnt it amazing what you can survive!
Love the photo.Happy Anniversary.Hope you have a wonderful 16th year.xx
Thank you, you have no idea what lies ahead after the celebrations end. Good times and bad, funny and sad you get it all!
Happy Anniversary! I still laugh at the memories of one of the best weddings we ever attended. Janine you missed your calling as a wedding planner!
And I wasn’t a bridezilla at all! Of course the speeches made the day, particularly the one from your husband!
Janine you look absolutely beautiful! LIke the flowers, like the top of the dress the little veil sleeve thingy, your eyes are very blue and what a pretty smile. It is funny (but not ha ha) looking at a photo of someone you know now but didn’t know then…
Thank you, with professional hair and make-up I don’t scrub up too bad.
I absolutely love your wedding photo. You’ve managed to nail down exactly what a good marriage is. After almost 40 years of marriage, I marvel at what we’ve experienced and survived.
Wow, 40 years, they should give out medals for that, well done.
What a beautiful wedding photo!!
You would have loved my wedding (if I do say so myself) planned to the last detail, coordinated within an inch of its life, I was a complete bridezilla, but it was a hell of a day.
hello janine! congratulations to you and your honey! i hope you are finding time to slow down and celebrate each other. joy to you, n
Hello Noreen, hope you had a wonderful holiday.
Happy anniversary Janine… 🙂
I’ve been married for 27 years