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?