I am not going to attempt to give my personal advise yet, because I have only been married for 8 years. Although I have been married longer than anyone in my family, I will wait for another 10 years before I try and teach others, but I do have a few great tips to pass on from a couple that I interviewed on a journalism assignment for the city paper.
The couple had been married for 65 years (66 this October). I figured that after that long they had something worth sharing. As I sat in their living room eating fresh apple pie, while my camera guy took a few pictures, I had the opportunity to ask the important question: What is the key?
What did Linda say?
"Don't take each other too serious!" she said. "Couples get so serious with each other, and so hurt by silly things that they spend most of their time building little walls between themselves. One day you wake up and look at your husband of wife next to you and think, 'I am not sure I am sill in love with them', No, the secret is laughing at each other and not taking each other too serious."
She told me a few stories about how they met and then went on, "If you stop laughing at each other, you are starting to loose the magic."
Philip, her husband added,"Yep, and I would have to say that every morning we wake up and decide what we are going to do. You see, you can't be too serious, and you also have to keep being active together." Those are the two most important things."
Maybe it is a little too simple, maybe there doesn't seem to be enough steps, but in a time when the divorce rate is the same in the church as it is outside the church taking a moment to listen to a couple that has loved and stayed in love for 65 years is just what we need.
Let's stay active with each other, stay away from a life in front of the television, and find ways to keep each other laughing. I think this couple found something great. I'll want to end this with a quote from Philip, he said,"Remember when you and your wife were dating? You both laughed at each other and found yourselves doing silly things. That is were your passion was born, go back to that place and you'll keep the passion alive."