I’ve learned a lot on my quest so far this year to understand what it takes to have a long and successful marriage. I’ve learned secrets from Families.com readers and non-Families.com sources of inspiration alike. But one thing I failed to consider was something else. Something that struck me the other day as I was walking Murph on his favorite park path: your marriage can’t last if you don’t.
Yes, I’m talking about keeping yourself healthy. Seems so obvious, but it wasn’t until I saw the older couples on the path that it clicked. I’m talking 65 and up. They were bike riding together, walking together and talking, or walking their dogs, too. Two were even rollerblading!
When I first moved my mom in with us and she still had plenty of fight left in her, she liked to get out and go, go, go until she couldn’t go no more. This was a big adjustment for me because I was used to working in the mornings, then running errands or doing chores around noon, then hitting the computer again in the afternoons. Instead, I found myself trying to keep my mom occupied during the days and sneak in writing time at night.
Because of her dementia, I quickly learned that to do it any other way would cause her great distress. An oft-repeated theory she’d propose was: “If I keep moving, it makes it harder for Death to catch me. I am going to die just sitting around all day.”
I was reminded of this the other day when one of the older couples on the path passed me and I overheard part of their conversation.
“We just might make it to our 50th after all if we keep up this walking routine. I feel as healthy as when we were first married.”
“You look it too,” the husband said. “And you’re right. I know the doc said this walking is good for my ticker, and you’ve been wanting to shed some pounds, but what I enjoy most of all is just having this time with you.”
Judging from the faces of all the other older couples on the path, my guess is they all shared similar sentiments.
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