Lasting Marriages

by Sherry Holetzky | More from this Blogger

05 Oct 2006 04:53 AM

Do you know any couples that have been married for the better part of their adult lives? My grandparents were married for over 60 years, before my grandmother passed away. I remember flying to Florida for their 50th anniversary party.

Another couple I know has been married even longer. They are both in their nineties and will be celebrating their 70th anniversary soon. Can you even imagine being married that long? I have a hard time imagining living that long! However, if I do, I want to spend that time married to my husband.

I think that being married for that many years is a huge accomplishment. Some people might say, "Yeah, but that doesn't mean that the marriage was always great," which is very true. In both of the examples I mentioned, there were some very turbulent times, in fact, you might say extremely difficult times. The point is that through it all they stayed together.

I may have mentioned before that my grandfather lost his arm at a young age. This was many years ago when medicine, technology, and social perception were not what they are today. Financial hardships, stigma, and other dire circumstances were not uncommon throughout their married life.

The other couple lost a child. That has to be one of the most difficult situations in life for anyone to cope with. Such occurrences have driven many couples apart. It's understandable to a degree, because such a loss leaves many people with nothing to give another person. Coping and getting out of bed each day is almost more than some people can bear, let alone dealing with another person, much less offering comfort.

Still, these couples somehow found ways to stay together and work through very difficult problems and circumstances. I think we can all learn from older generations who made commitments and stuck with them no matter what life sent their way.

Do you know any couples whose marriages have inspired you?

Learn more about Sherry Holetzky

Sherry Holetzky is a work at home mom and freelance writer. Married to her best friend, Sherry and her husband are raising their family in a quiet rural setting in the beautiful Ozark Mountains.

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babydawn (7008) 06 Oct 2006 07:02 AM

My parents' marriage has inspired me. They have been married for somewhere around 40 years (I am not sure the exact year). They have had rough times as well, and yet through all of those rough times, they have never had an argument, and I mean NEVER. I think that is why my husband and I very rarely argue. I could probably count on one hand the amount of times my husband and I have had an argument in our almost 9 years of marriage. My parents have worked TOGETHER to get through the rough times and have such a deep love for one another. My father truely treats my mom like a queen and she treats him like a king. They are best friends (as are my husband and I, another thing I have learned from watching them), and true partners in their goals and their lives.

Sherry Holetzky (11404) 06 Oct 2006 08:37 AM

Wow, Dawn, that is awesome! Thanks for sharing. My husband and I rarely argue either. We disagree sometimes, of course, but we talk things through and manage to work things out together. We've only had a couple of "fights" early on. Both of us grew up with fighting parents, and we didn't want that for our kids. Congratulations to your folks, and to you and your husband!

Dale Harcombe (10321) 07 Mar 2008 05:08 PM

My husband and I have been married for more than two thirds of our lives and still love spending time together. I had some thought about our marraige and why it works in http://christian.families.com/blog/keeping-the-happily-ever-after

Sherry Holetzky (11404) 08 Mar 2008 10:03 AM

Congratulations. :)

I'll be sure to check that link out. Thanks, Dale.