Happy 40th H's

Just recently my parents celebrated forty years of marriage.

Forty.

Four.  Zero.

And here I was pretty impressed that J-Man and I are coming up on four years pretty unscathed.  I've gotta say, I'm impressed.

I've learned a few things about marriage over time, though.

For instance, it turns out, when you marry someone, you're agreeing to wake up next to them every single day.  Even when they snore. Or steal covers. Or need noisy tv shows to fall back asleep.

Also, if married people say they don't fight, I'm pretty sure they're lying.  Or else my bet is one day they are going to explode and some crazy, crazy things are going to finally be said. I mean, I wouldn't want to be married with someone who agreed with me 100% of the time.  

I don't think things are every really equal in a marriage.  One person is more likely to be the water-getter.  Or the bed-maker.  One more likely to influence the tv channel.  One more likely to drive the long road trips.  One who is just a tad stronger when disasters strike, even if both are indeed leaning on each other.

Still, it's probably healthiest if we don't keep count of the inequalities.  I'll take being the bed-maker if he'll get me water.  I'll do midnight feedings if he'll drive to grandma's every time.  I'll make him happy if he'll make me happy.

I hope J-Man and I are still happily married at 40 years.  Emphasis on happily. Sure we'll probably have a few war stories of things that almost put us over the edge, but fingers and toes crossed that we get there.  And like my parents, I hope we celebrate it in style with a well-deserved vacation.  No kids.  No grandkids. Just us.  Remembering how we fell in love, how that love twisted and turned and blossomed and shaped us.

People, my parents are going on their first cruise next month, and I think their lives will be forever altered for the better.  Cruises were made for people like Mama and Papa H.

Here's to them, and to an eternity of happily ever after.