My Grandparents, on my mother’s side, just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on the 28th.
I called them a day early, and just now remembered to post something about it.
They know I love them and admire them for still being together, after fifty years, four children (and losing one very young), ten grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, joblessness, jobs on the road, owning a business, retirement, and being a positive force in practically every aspect of my life. Fifty years, that can’t be summed up in less than ninety words.
I love you, Nana and Papa, and all the parts of that fifty years that fit into my own existence.
congrats to them
It takes something to stay together for years but more than that I think it takes something special to still love each other after all of those years together. When my grandma who is now dying turned 83 you could say she had a feminist click moment and threw my grandfather (93) out of the house. They have been separated ever since. She said she wanted some peace before she died. You see she spent an entire lifetime serving his needs. I come from a very patriarchal family. In the end I have learned not to take anything for granted. I know more than ever that unless we nurture and respect love it will not last.
Anyone who meets them has no doubt whatsoever that they still love each other very much.
They went through a lot together. My grandfather is a Korean War vet, and that brought a lot of strain to their young relationship early on (and b/f they were married they had my mother).
They have fought, healed, argued, and fought to stay together. They have been a real example to me on what it takes to make a relationship (married or not) last. They taught me that a loving relationship requires teamwork, w/ each partner being an equal contributor and taker. It hasn’t always been easy, but they endured (I think it shows that they had a big part in raising me if you were to meet us all in Meat World).
I actually get a little choked up talking about it. In a really good way.